noun: a hormonally controlled quiescence resulting in a reduction of metabolic activity, often occurring seasonally, especially in insects
I’ve just learned that
as the cold descends,
you, little red-suited beetles,
cuddle tight to each
other like cubs in a den
napping, your metabolism
slowed to the consistency
of honey, your appetite
for aphids momentarily
on hold.
I had no idea you could
survive a winter, but
here you are umbrella’d
under a broad leaf with
your black polka-dotted
buddies in what I now
realize is ladybug
hibernation—
not a bad idea for us all—
a time of quiescence
for living things,
tucking into stillness,
relishing dormancy,
until the awakening signal
plucks at us, persuades us
to stretch our tiny wings
and take flight into
a whole new year.
Güd wrtr 
Hi Jan,I love the phrase “tucking into stillness.” I’m reesending my lullaby in separate email in case you didn’t get it. Please let me know if the mp4 – at the bottom – opens for you.And please share it too…!Thank you.Warmly,Shauna Shauna L. Smith, MSW, LMFT3101- I Street Suite #104Sacramento, CA 95816
Thanks, Shauna! I did get it. Very nice lullaby!
What a tidy little lady bug of a poem! Love the new word and the adorable photo, too! Love, Jan
Thanks, Jan! I love that you’re reading these!