february 

her dark, wind-swept days
celebrate love and the dead
and rodent shadows
mistress of calendars,
quadrennial day shifter,
she conspires with the sun
to reset time while the earth
spins an extra day
on its lopsided axle
and winter leaps into spring 
under the snow moon

~kat

I had a friend in school who was born on the 29th of February. I felt sad for him because his birthday only came around once every four years. Oh, it was no big deal they said. They still celebrated their birthday on the 28th of the month or into March on the 1st. 

But I do remember he was an odd kid. I wondered at the time if his unusual birth day was the reason for his weirdness. The fact that I remember him these 50+ years later; that I remember that he had a weird birthday shows the impression it had on me. Over the years I’ve met a few other February 29th people. They seemed weird too. Or maybe I was just conditioned to think that because of my initial encounter. 

How impressionable we are when we are young. And I wonder, how will the undertone of hate and exclusion in the world today affect our kids years from now. It’s all the more reason to be kind and to counter hate with love and compassion. Even on those days when it seems like there is nothing we can do…we can be kind. I’m convinced that is our secret weapon during these troubled times. 

much love, peace, kindness and glimmers to you.

~kat

and a glimmer today….I discovered a new bloom on my Christmas Cactus. Enjoy! 

NaGloPoWriMo 24 April 2025 prompt:

“untidy, reckless, deviant”
That’s a list from a poem by Aiyana Masla. The full line goes like this: “the tangle / of white wild flowers / in the bright field / untidy, reckless, deviant / in their courage & in their beauty,/ their happiness a holiness, /visceral & redemptive.” Masla’s poem is titled “June,” and it’s positively gorgeous. For today’s draft, let’s start with a month as our title and write a poem that encapsulates observations and feelings about that month. / Recommended reading: In addition to Masla’s poem, check out these Poems for Every Month of the Year