The following poems I crafted in February 2024 as part of a 15-day “tiny winter poem” challenge by Beth Kempton, in which writers use ten minutes to develop an unedited poem. These feel quite different from my usual approach to poetry (I prefer hybrid works), but the ten-minute limit is purposeful to allow the words just to flow.
WOLF
The woods are quiet, the air relieving with its chill.
A small moment to notice the iridescent sparks,
Frosty particles drifting from the trees above.
Is this experience only imagined?
For I lie curled up in my den, warm and dark, out of necessity.
And yet, we now share this experience together in our minds,
The last bastion of freedom when all else has been thwarted.
So here we float in this space of refreshing possibility,
Now in existence because we created it together.
Malumir R. Logan
RIPPLE
I thought back to the times that had felt like failures, like struggles
And realized that each experience was merely a pebble of transformation
That created all the changes, possibilities and unimaginable realities
In my life so far, like ripples.
And I await the newest liquid resonance
With hope.
Malumir R. Logan
NEARLY/RESILIENCE
Not quite there yet,
Just a little while longer.
It didn’t work out this time,
But it’ll be your turn next.
As the weeds climb the fence and the gardener snips tall flowers off at the head.
Athletes know when they need to push to their edge,
But the edge is not the place to run a marathon.
Malumir R. Logan
SEARCHING
Digging through my handbag that used to accompany me everywhere,
I wonder what observations the embossed unicorn on the tag would share,
What insights the unicorn saw so clearly back then
That I’m only now seeing with vision.
Malumir R. Logan
SIREN
Each time
I hear
the wail
that pitch
I say
a prayer
to the
Universe
for them
on their
worst day
unsure
whether
there is
a next
moment
or what
it may
hold, I
think back
to my
worst days
and the
void of
knowing
fills the
soul and
mind with
that same
siren
Malumir R. Logan
UNFORGOTTEN
Cafe tables of all sorts
high tops, counters, or small and round
A half-finished cup of something lovely
latte, strong drip, or espresso
Often an accompaniment
journal, phone or delightful sweet
Environments that fed the soul
bustling, peaceful, or jazzy music
A source of insight in my hands
worn, miniature and familiar
Relics of a time no more
But still I cherish each one true
This tiny encyclopedia of wisdom
Remains unforgotten
Malumir R. Logan
BELIEF
Childhood promises broken
Immeasurably
Externally
Were no match for promises kept to myself
Diligently
Internally
Fundamental brightness of belief
Continually
Cohesively
Casts luminous optimism
Expansively
Sustainably
Which is how I now collaborate with life
Malumir R. Logan
SHORELINE
A place so far from here in time and space
Malumir R. Logan
We explored that old country, driving all over,
The grandest adventure we had yet made
Ferries, narrow roads and lanes made for shepherds,
Islands, hills and cities,
We saw it all, yet it is Tobermory I hold close to my heart
Our accommodations weren’t fancy,
But the day with the puffins, our chests just as sparkling
With joy of discovery and connection in nature
The echo of the migratory birds through the years
Still reaches me now
And I’m still with you on the shoreline of Treshnish
CITY
It was the bright lights and possibility
That used to warm my soul,
The sheer numbers and architecture
That allowed me to feel hope.
The optimism that filled my chest
Immersed in those city lights
Remains a present experience—
No need to unseam time.
Malumir R. Logan
THOUGHT
I used to believe it was best to direct my thoughts
Until I discovered the thoughts flow in miraculous waves
That if allowed to be written into existence in that form
Hold crystalline truths worth the insight
Malumir R. Logan
MADE
Candlelight flickers in the soft bass of early morning as I sit gazing out the window
To see a heavy mist resting silently over the lane, transporting the glow of the street lamp
Illuminating the branches of the February trees growing out of the ground that mirrors the shade of sky
And although I cannot craft or morph the opacity of nature and her external forces
I find my mind wandering down the lane with her, as she reminds me we co-created this life together
And in that moment, despite the uncertainties and travails ahead of me, I encounter peace
Malumir R. Logan
BUNCH
We each have old ghosts we’re conditioned to fear,
They swoop and swell within
And hide in the corners of our souls,
Waiting with a sharp-toothed grin
We tighten our throats ‘round the stems of these weeds,
When these younger selves emerge
But I have learned not to fear or stifle these parts
Or enforce a structured purge
In offering acknowledgement and space to be,
These ghosts grow into wildflowers
No longer trapped in a prescriptive bouquet
As one, I sway in fields of healed power
(this poem is in reference to Internal Family Systems or IFS work)
Malumir R. Logan
WHISPER
Sailing through time and space
In warm and sparkling effervescence
The whispers of guidance and love
From healed ancestors most ancient
Are offered to us each so gently
We only need the skill to notice
And from this welcoming harbour
Allow grace to voyage back through the ages
Malumir R. Logan
WINTER
Although many hold contempt for you all year long,
I welcome you and delight in your generosity.
Instead of energy drained and fear doubled,
I look deep into your eyes and witness you.
Malumir R. Logan