January – A Poem

JANUARY

Janus am I; oldest of potentates;
Forward I look, and backward, and below
I count, as god of avenues and gates,
The years that through my portals come and go.

I block the roads, and drift the fields with snow;
I chase the wild-fowl from the frozen fen;
My frosts congeal the rivers in their flow,
My fires light up the hearths and hearts of men.

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Detail of the ceiling in Waltham Abbey parish church by Steve Day TheRevSteve

The picture of Janus is a detail taken from the ceiling in Waltham Abbey parish church

Image by Steve Day – TheRevSteve

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