The Bookshelf ~ February 2024

lectori salutem

HELLO FRIENDS,

February wrings out my patience in a way no other month manages to do. But my hope in the coming spring is building, building, building. And I must give February its due. It does the fundamental groundwork for spring, so when the blossoms do finally burst forth, I feel such a deep relief. I abide in this gladness. A month of lingering winter is worth the triumph in the end.

Here is a list of things that are especially lovely & needed in February:

Wandering my local nurseries and plant stores. Stepping out of a dreary, late-winter day into a room filled with green, oxygen, and the scent of damp soil.

Walking outside every day, unattached to the day’s workout. My neighborhood block is a seven minute loop. This simple walk, this moment of recalibration, never fails.

Turning on the lamps earlier than usual. Sometimes, I turn on all the lights for quarter of an hour or so, just to feel brightness in my chest.

Deciding to be a poet whenever rain or snow falls from the sky. Cold…