Happy Groundhog Day!

Punxsutawney.

Isn't that a great word? That word alone is enough to make Groundhog Day worth celebrating. Although it is one of the most under-appreciated holidays on the calendar, Groundhog Day has a very loyal following. People observe the holiday with creativity and zeal. Did you know there are groundhog songs? games? parties? My sister is a devout observer. She started celebrating it when she was young and has now elevated the observance of it to an art form. Seriously. This year she has invited friends and family to write poetry in honor of the day. I experimented with a few different forms and perhaps I got carried away, but at least it was fun. Here's my contribution.

The Brown Groundhog (with apologies to William Carlos Williams)

so much depends
upon

a brown ground
hog

frightened by
shadow

burrowed in Gobbler’s
Knob

Okay, now for haiku

emerge from burrow
see not the cold grey shadow
and promise us spring

free verse

solitary marmot
whistlepig
woodchuck
finds his shadow
while we tuck
ourselves under the covers
for six more weeks of
winter.
Brrrrr.

Come on, celebrate the groundhog! Be daring and add your poem, song, or game to my comments section.