Next Sunday is Valentine’s Day. It’s a super commercial holiday that many people hate, but I would never say no to red wine and good dark chocolate. In this pandemic year, however, we won’t be visiting any local wineries for the usual February wine and chocolate events. Nor will we be getting together with family and friends to celebrate birthdays. In our family, February is birthday month. When our daughters were young, we often had Valentine-themed birthday parties for them. My husband and mother-in-law also have birthdays in February.

In this time of global pandemic, most of us are not hugging people who are not in our bubble, and most of us are not going out and socializing. You might be embracing a loved one you are with, or you might be missing the embrace of one you’re not able to be with. Some people may be embracing new ideas, routines, or hobbies.

So, today I’m asking you to use the word “embrace” in a quadrille. The word can be used as a noun, verb, or a modifier.

If you’re new to dVerse or the quadrille, it’s simply a poem of 44 words, excluding the title. It can be in any form, rhymed or unrhymed, metered, or unmetered. You MUST use the word “embrace” or some form of the word in your poem (not simply the title).

Here are two poetry examples, lines from Walt Whitman and from Mary Oliver. I don’t want to influence anyone too much with numerous examples—though I know dVerse poets, and I’m certain I will be surprised by how everyone embraces this prompt!

“The sound of the belch’d words of my voice, words loos’d to the eddies
of the wind;
A few light kisses, a few embraces, a reaching around of arms;”
-- From Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself”

“It’s not the weight you carry

but how you carry it –
books, bricks, grief –
it’s all in the way
you embrace it, balance it, carry it
–from Mary Oliver, “Heavy”

Please do follow the rules and remember to link back to this post.

When you’re ready, post your poem, and add your link to Mr Linky, so that everyone can find it. Read the poems of others. You may be surprised by all the wonderful poets here at dVerse–and everyone appreciates it when others read their work and leave a comment.

Here’s Ella with “Embraceable You” to send you off–a lovely version with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra.