After December by Eve Robillard

After December
by
Eve Robillard

A little boy asks his mother

What comes after December?

All he can think of is darkness.

A dark field, or a wall.

Stairs going down and down.

A sky without stars.

Still, the boy reasons, his mother

has lived through many Decembers;

even he has encountered December before,

he's almost positive. January,

says his Mom. After December

there's January. And then she

takes his hand and walks with him

down the street and into the rest

of his immense, unknowable life.

From Everything Happens Twice (Fireweed Press, 2002)
Used with the author's permission.

Eve Robillard lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and writes for both children and adults. Author of three poetry chapbooks., she is a former children's librarian and estimates having done more than 1900 storytimes during the course of her career. Besides writing and reading and storytelling, Eve enjoys watercolor painting. Learn more about her at www.everobillard.com.

transitions:
Agree with everyone...and, yes, the last line is breath-taking!
Posted 01/02/2015 06:27 PM

peninsulapoet:
A wonderful poem.
Posted 01/02/2015 11:29 AM

wendy morton:
for all of us, an immense and unknowable life.
Posted 01/02/2015 10:20 AM

mimi:
a quiet, lovely, poem...
Posted 01/02/2015 08:05 AM

Larry Schug:
I agree. Dynamite poem.
Posted 01/02/2015 07:49 AM

Gary Busha:
A fine poem. I like that the boy is unnamed. And oh so good the ending.
Posted 01/02/2015 06:22 AM

laurasalas:
Oh, I love this. So simple and elegant and true.
Posted 01/02/2015 06:19 AM

rhonasheridan:
The last verse came as a surprise - and a very good one - I have been going around reading it to people. A delightful poem.
Posted 01/02/2015 01:17 AM

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