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
The picture of Janus is a detail taken from the ceiling in Waltham Abbey parish church
Image by Steve Day – TheRevSteve
