1974 a closed year**, Times past Options

[greenwich]

Around Winter we dug our memories deep
to relish the stored cinnamon and nutmeg.
The hippie idiom was fading fast.
Progressive music churned out its end of era feel.
Instead we played John Sebastian
something in the Tarzana Kid
presented a last chance
to pull away from the realization
the Sun didn't shine the same as last year.
The customs seemed to cultivate narcissism,
innocence gone,
the self became the fore
community couldn't bond

[Luce]

I like poems that take place in a particular era and I'm certainly old enough to remember 1974.

This one does describe the dying embers of the "hippie years" and the narrator's sadness and longing for those years. However, I think you tell us more about this time then show us.

Round Winter we dug our memories deep
to relish the stored cinnamon and nutmeg.

I like the imagery of comparing memories to something you store (like food) in winter but I think you need to develop it more clearly. Maybe say "In winter" as oppose to "Round winter". Not very familiar with cold cellar storage but would you store spices in cold storage as oppose to vegetables and fruit harvest earlier in the year? I'm wondering if picking something more commonly stored in a root cellar would make the metaphor stronger.

The hippie idiom was fading fast.
Progressive music churned out its end of era feel.
Instead we played John Sebastian
something in the Tarzana Kid
presented a last chance
to pull away from the realization
the Sun didn't shine the same as last year.

It's best to show us how the hippie idiom was fading rather then tell us. How did the lyrics in the Tarzana Kid album "present a last chance to pull away from the realization that the sun didn't shine the same as last year...."?

The customs seemed to cultivate narcissism,
innocence gone,
the self became the fore
community couldn't bond

It's the things that people do or don't do that we remember that reflect the changing times (self-absorption, change of customs, lack of community). What do you remember? Show us.

Luce

[greenwich]

Thanks Luce for your interest. John Sebastian's "Stories we could tell", sums up the passing of old order

[Eisa]

Hi Antony,

I like this as I was young in the 60's/70's! It brought back memories (although I was not a hippie, but dressed a bit like one at times)

Round Winter we dug our memories deep

I feel 'Around Winter' sounds better (& might be more correct)

to relish the stored cinnamon and nutmeg.
The hippie idiom was fading fast.

Personally I would keep readers guessing until the end as to whether it was hippies you are talking about and just say 'the idiom'

Progressive music churned out its end of era feel.
Instead we played John Sebastian
something in the Tarzana Kid
presented a last chance
to pull away from the realization
the Sun didn't shine the same as last year.
The customs seemed to cultivate narcissism,
innocence gone,
the self became the fore
community couldn't bond

If you delete hippie from further up then add to last line
'hippie community couldn't bond'

Hope something helps
Eira

[greenwich]

Thanks Eira a productive and joyful New Year
Eira your ending alters the poem. It suggests the fault line was with the hippies when it was with disco which turned intelligent people undiscerning