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crescendo, diminuendo, poco a poco

the cycle of seasonal depression

By Chaia LeviPublished 7 months ago 1 min read

1.

crescendo

shadows stretch long

along lengthening sun

and sleeping things

crawling from the dirt

hungry

.

2.

diminuendo

the decline is fast

from equinox to solstice

my legs, my arms

my head

sink into my bed

my bed

my bed smells of sadness

so i hibernate

until the equinox

when the birds fly back

.

3.

poco a poco

the cicadas will sound soon

coalescing oscillations

trilling to high hum above

the start of feverish nights

beginning fantasies

of rolling thunder storms

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Definitions

crescendo - the instruction to play/sing with a gradual increase in volume within a musical piece

diminuendo - the instruction to play/sing with a gradual decrease in volume within a musical piece

poco a poco - from Italian meaning “little by little,” used to emphasize to play/sing a musical piece “little by little,” for example: you can “poco a poco crescendo” which means to crescendo little by little i.e. gradually

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Enjoy some other, relevant works:

Screenshot of the prose poem “Melancholy Trail” title with header photo of a dune overlooking the sea and sky (full description found through the link).

Excerpt: Neurons and dendrites follows the sun as it pulls and presses away and toward. Discordant functions, reactions, displays. Equinox to equinox — a gradual decline. Solstice to solstice, diminuendo to lowest low from highest high — crashing internal before crashing intangible structures connected through me. Seasonal changes in the wrong body.

Screenshot of the poem “coming of the slow freeze” title with header photo of a film photo showing a blackened foreground and an ominous sky in black and white.

Excerpt: creeping, consuming, settling into corners and folds

Screenshot of the short story “Hitbodedut, a Night Scream” title with header photo of an illustraion of an owl (full description found through the link).

Excerpt: At once hazy and clear, cordgrass softly rattles from a salt laden breeze, brushing against each other. Close and distant, spring peepers call to each other in startling loud cacophony. Crickets trill in single, thrumming notes - pausing when an owl call pushes past or the lone human in dark clothes walks by in careful, plodding steps.

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Illustration by Chaia Levi.

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surreal poetrysad poetrynature poetry

About the Creator

Chaia Levi

like if Nabokov had a brain injury

artist, writer, photographer

instagram, tiktok, tumblr: @chaialevi

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Comments (1)

  • Novel Allen6 months ago

    Oh you draw as well. So jealous. You are gifted. I love your work, hoping to read some more. This one is lovely as well.

Chaia LeviWritten by Chaia Levi

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