I can deal with six more weeks of winter ~ but not six more weeks of ICE
our fate on this day
in the hands of a groundhog
snow or early spring
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beneath the oak’s gnarly boughs,
a squirrel puffs his furry brows.
He stands upon his hindmost toes
and clears his throat—then strikes a pose.
‘tis February 2d, and he’s perched so proud,
On fence post high, he squints at clouds.
No winter's end! he chirps with glee~
A squirrel convinced that he's Phil.
Listen! he decrees,I’m more than a treetop thief
I am the Seer! The Weather Chief!
Behold my shadow—short or tall—
I prophesize for one and all!
The groundhogs just scoffed, You’re a joke!
A squirrel can't predict—what a bloke!
Your tail's far too puffed,
Your logic is stuffed—
The other squirrels ignored his act,
too busy burying things intact.
Yet Phil persisted, year by year,
a furry fraud who had no fear.
Groundhog, come out to play.
Spit out what you have to say.
Is spring coming our way?
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: 3rd place 2026
(“Outside Looking In Merit Badge”, 2011, original oil)
In a dream
The repeated pattern of my own conditioning
Like a Groundhog’s Day set on reset
Reveals to me the futility of the human condition
Habitually doing the same things
While expecting different results;
As Einstein said, THE definition of insanity.
Yet again and again we also wake
With at least the hope of sanity,
The freshness of not being habitually driven
Until we once again start to do
And the conditioning of all these lifetimes
Kicks in again, as we
Without thought, without effort
Take the easy path of least resistance.
(11/24/25)
Does it matter what you do
or matter what you say?
Does anything mean anything
when you live Groundhog Day?
Is there a way to please the Gods
so that they’ll let you go?
Or maybe there’s no point at all.
Perhaps it’s just a show.
But what else can you do
if you find you’re stuck in this scene.
You have to just keep going
and hope you will find the thing
that they are wanting you to learn.
You have to find a way
to end the drama, check the box…
and escape Groundhog Day.
In v formation
loud honking proves geese are back
happy groundhog day
Phil saw his shadow
I was hoping not
darn groundhog
Groundhog promised he would never oversleep again.
On February second they sent out the annoying wren.
He could not rouse groundhog from his slumber.
So Mom and Dad went over, in a wagon-lumber.
They made as much noise as they dared outside.
Finally going into his bedroom and shaking his hide.
Groundhog was irritated and terribly grumpy too.
I think it was certainly brave of them, don’t you?
I feel like it's a consistent cycle that keeps repeating over and over
Consistent disappointments from my mother
You somehow make your little girl who's not such a little girl feel like a little girl again
Consistent disappointments from my friends
How come you forget I exist until today, my birthday?
Consistent disappointments from my lovers
How come you forget I exist until there are tears from my eyes?
Consistent disappointments from my school
Why am I not listened to? I didn't choose to be this way
What can I do to break the repeat?
What can I do to break the loop?
I feel like smoking is my only way to get away from everything.
After your butterfly alighted my dreams,
I never forgot your kiss,
You became the object of my vespers,
The refuge for my injured toiling chest.
I await your spectacle, your curtain call.
Your fragile teasing dance.
Like Groundhog Day, I predict your fluttering
Wings, the wavy flurry of your bowstrings,
Again and again.
What wonder comes next?
Are you counting down my dreams?
emerges from burrow
sunrays fade through graying clouds
early spring crocus
2/1/2022
Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grund'sau dåk, Grundsaudaag, Grundsow Dawg, Murmeltiertag; Nova Scotia: Daks Day)[1] is a popular North American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den, and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow because of cloudiness, spring will arrive early.
Is everybody ready for that lying little rodent
to crawl out of his hole and predict an early Spring.
It doesn't matter what that liar says.
He's not a meteorologist, he doesn't know a thing.
Groundhogs are the center of attention,
expected to predict the next six weeks.
You might as well just flip a coin
because " he doesn't know of what he speaks".
I think this year we should ignore them.
Find something else to keep us amused.
Pretend you don't care what they predict.
Let their little egos finally get bruised.
I'm tired of these groundhog's promises,
be it Winter or Spring on which we rely.
Every year they make their predictions
and every year they damn well lie.
Take that long walk along the creek
where the ducks chose to hide
won't be long now., let it flow
leavin' nothing to decide.
Give back those days in mist, a sun's last ray
lost to wind and left to time
soft voice traveled on my mind
tomorrow's just another groundhog day.
Lookin out wide window at a frosted place
fingers unwound from soft bluegrey lace
song swimmin in your brain.. does it matter
or did it ever
though you still see a lovely face..
Wonder now, was there anything left to say
look down and remember
that smiling face of December
and tomorrow's just another groundhog day.
It’s Groundhog Day, which made me think
Of Punxsutawney Phil,
Who saw his shadow, which implies
More weeks of winter’s chill.
But I have got a great idea
Which shouldn’t make folks grouchy –
Let’s pick a day to test the shadow
Thrown by Dr. Fauci.
If he wakes up and steps outside,
His shadow on the ground,
Then there will be six months or more
With Covid still around.
But if his shadow doesn’t show,
We’ll know that the vaccine
Has done its job, so Covid
Will spend less time on the scene.
We all could use a little hope
And Fauci is our man
If he lets his shadow slip away
Like that of Peter Pan.
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