On Sunday, December 21st, the Northern Hemisphere celebrated the shortest day of the year, and the longest night. A time of renewal and the coming of light, the day holds special meaning for local poet Joanna Yonder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think observing solstice can be permission to yourself to understand that this is a time of hibernation and that brighter and more energetic days are ahead,\u201d Yonder said. \u201cBut it\u2019s also OK to rest and go inward a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In honor of the winter solstice, Yonder shared her poem \u201cFrost\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right now, it is winter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All things come and go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not forget that one day<\/p>\n\n\n\n
you\u2019ll again go out<\/p>\n\n\n\n
into the gentle garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It will be golden hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You will grow whatever plants you wish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For now,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
hold fast against the raging of the storm,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the gale, the dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is their season-but you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
you have many ways of staying warm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Draw close now, stoke the fire,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and hold the ones that love you. Tell each other<\/p>\n\n\n\n
of the sun to come,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the seasons coming round,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
fierce and inexorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Count your seeds, polish your gleaming spade<\/p>\n\n\n\n
against the keenness of the tempest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rest and become ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For now, it is winter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
all things come and go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The soil is there, beneath<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the snow, the ice, the wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not forget its softness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Draw near to the fire tonight<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and become a friend to hardness when you must,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
but do not forget the softness of the earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On Sunday, December 21st, the Northern Hemisphere celebrated the shortest day of the year, and the longest night. A time of renewal and the coming of light, the day holds special meaning for local poet Joanna Yonder.<\/p>\n
In honor of the winter solstice, Yonder shared her poem \u201cFrost\u201d.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":8642,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true},"news-category":[514],"news-tag":[],"class_list":["post-8641","news","type-news","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-category-featured-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n