February Half-Term

Shy over-wintered skin blushes,
tickled by fresh breezes
and stroked by pale-fingered sunshine.
Faith in re-birth trembles,
alive in this February dawning

when snowdrops dip their petalled heads
in prayer. Cream tepals nod to crocus sisters,
decked in purple and yellow,
adorned for Persephone’s rites.
Today, the damp, dark loam hums –

untamed shoots shudder,
ready to burst through hardened earth.
Primed to weather late ground frosts
or farewell snows with rude defiance.

Life, wrested from Boreas’ stunned embrace,
nourishes corrupt remains,
bulbs and seeds from what has passed before.

Curled, green couplings enchain,
link growth to hope. Our excited children,
cheeks rouged with outdoor air,
bounce with confidence once more.

Ceinwen Haydon writes short stories and poetry. She is widely published online and in print. Her first chapbook was published in July 2019: Cerddi Bach [Little Poems], a Stickleback by Hedgehog Press. Ceinwen was a winner in the Nicely Folded Paper Pamphlet Competition July 2019 and her first pamphlet is due to be published 2019/20. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Newcastle University, and believes everyone’s voice counts.

Read more of Ceinwen here.