Everything I know of hunger and hibernation. Evenings in with my sleet of thoughts. Body clocks out of sync in the middle of this nowhere. My ache reeks of evergreen, my bedroom of manufactured vanilla and cardamom. What do you believe in when the last smear of light fades beneath the snow? Why do tiny things break me more than big tragedies? November’s quiet hum, December’s hand full of performance. The little mess you make screaming into the pillow. The dark bloom inside surrender. At the core, I will always be that sixteen-year-old girl with crayon renditions of Van Goghs in a sketchbook and no friends. Pain has a pulse and mine thrums like a phantom lullaby dripped off a ghost tongue. Strange enchantment. Conkers under muddy boots. The coat hanging by the door, still waiting for winter’s call. Yearning will survive as long as I do. Only a fallow page can torture a poet. The trees let go first; now it’s your turn. Take two more and try.

Prompts used (tags are the poets’ IG handles):

@angelealowes - “in the middle of this nowhere” + “the little mess you made” + “strange enchantment” @octavia.poetry - “a kiss of cardamom” @lipstick.stains_ - “Why do tiny things break me more than big tragedies?” + “The coat hanging by the door still waiting for November’s call” @kaytpoems - “yearning will survive as long as I do” + “pain has a pulse” @imlaurengreen - “evenings in with my thoughts” + “conkers under muddy boots” @tangledflxwers - “my anger reeks of evergreen” + “at the core, I will always be that twelve year old girl with no friends” @amykaypoetry - “What do you believe in?” @libbyjenner.poetry - “performance of candlelight” + “body clocks out of sync” @m.l.macdonald - “a smear of light” @cozyinkpress - “evergreen ache” + “Novembers quiet hum” @shield.of.armour - “write a list poem of other names for seasonal depression” + “only …. can torture a poet” @esb.poems - “let’s imagine everything gets better” @thesoftword - “the bloom inside surrender” @loisofthehearth - “the trees let go first; now it’s your turn” @lorrainefaepoetry - “a hand full of gold” @eridan.us - “everything I know of hunger & hibernation” @stillchasingcrescendos - “take two more and try”