Winter Solstice

She rolled
up the mat,
turned out
the lights,
and we were plunged
into darkness.

December is like
living in a cave,
but the earth
will not hear of it,

unfolds her fetal position
in her darkened room
and allows light to emerge
longer in the morning
and afternoon —

Sunlight able
to warm our deepest bones.


About the Poet: Ethel Mortenson Davis was born in Wisconsin where her parents were dairy farmers. Her years on the farm instilled a deep sense of the earth. After high school she studied fine art at the University of Wisconsin—Madison with Milton Resnick, one of the great abstract artists of the 20th century.  Influenced by the imagist poets, she has had four books of poetry published. Her poems have appeared in magazines, international and regional anthologies, and small literary journals. She lives in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin with her husband and two dogs where her daughters and grandchildren come to visit on a regular basis. Her son died of cancer a number of years ago.

 

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