A Sunrise in the Winter
Who rises to watch a sunrise in the winter?
As the cold air nips and yawn-induced tears sting,
Who bites back?
I don’t speak of the farmer who must wake before dawn,
Or a weary traveler on her way home from a redeye flight.
I’m calling to those who break convention,
Who, rather than sit on the beach in pleasant weather to watch a day begin,
Force their eyes open so they can see a snowy world set ablaze.
They are not people of conformity, but as well do not bask in their individuality for praise.
They live for the sake of living, to see a sunrise in the winter because no one else will.
And they wonder…
Is the winter sun lonely?
Does it miss the days when it was the world’s best friend?
But it’s been turned the cold shoulder,
To suffer alone until love once again becomes preferable.
So these people wake up to watch the sun rise in sharp, bitter air.
Their vigil unacknowledged by the waking world.
And they do not care.
They rise to watch a sunrise in the winter.
Because no one else will.
Lightswitch
The others play with their lightswitches constantly,
At least that’s what they tell me;
I shield my eyes and look away.
Won’t that make you catch on fire?
I think.
Who taught you safety…
Who taught you how?
I am not scared of the dark;
I do not let my fingers even drift towards the switch —
Even a dimmer has no place in my grip.
I slap others’ wandering hands from its glossy, untouched skin;
No fingerprints.
I light a candle for us instead,
And wonder what electricity is like,
If, when the time comes,
My body can become a switch,
Flipped with a single touch,
If I will know how to use it,
If I am even flammable.
Caroline Morris is a Philadelphia-based writer and editor who received her B.A. in English literature with a concentration in writing at the Catholic University of America in 2022. Her work wrestles with the nature of femininity, internal and interpersonal relationships, and what it means to have a body. Morris has previously been published by Green Ink Poetry, Hearth & Coffin, The Hyacinth Review, Beaver Magazine,and The Penwood Review, with two honorable mentions for the O’Hagan Poetry Prize. Twitter: @Lean_writer
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