Sick of Nothing New
preemptive birthday blues
I am July’s child, against my will.
I wear its sweet heaviness,
a perfume that accompanies me
throughout the seasons that I love better,
my limbs ever oppressed by the languidity
I spend all year dreading.
In the rare moments when I am not slow and care-laden,
my temper bursts forth,
with all the sudden ephemeral rage of a summer storm
before sinking back into the melancholy humidity.
The cicadas, the thunder, the happy birthday wishes—
they all pose the same question:
another year gone,
and what have you done?
About the Creator
Chloë J.
Probably not as funny as I think I am
Insta @chloe_j_writes
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
One Unchecked Box
"Republished" because it was the only way to add the embed for the newly recorded audio version of this story due to the Top Story badge. Plus it serves as a nice, informal announcement of the podcast's revival for another season (go subscribe!):
By Stephen A. Roddewig6 days ago in Fiction
Comments (28)
This is just so beautiful and so true. Congrats on a well deserved Top Story.
Very impressive please comment my poem ☺️ https://todaysurvey.life/poets/enveloping-ecstasy%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv class="css-w4qknv-Replies">
This poem is a gift. Seasons of life, birthdays, and our self-worth reflected in our environment can impact us in different ways, through varying temperatures. You nailed the discomfort of this as if you just unveiled a new side to the mirror. Incredible poem, congratulations!
Absolutely gorgeous words that create strong visuals throughout this beautiful and heavy poem. Fantastic job!! Congrats on top story, Chloë! 💫💞
Such melancholy in these verses. I found this poem quite beautifully sad, and extremely well conceived and brilliantly written. I especially love the strong visual of those "rare moments" where the rage takes over for a short burst, as though there is a part of you needing to break free that comes out suddenly, clawing against what is holding you down or holding you back. It's a visceral image, with much behind it. Very powerful to contemplate. Well done here, and congrats on your Top Story. I hope your birthday ends up being filled with happiness and love, especially for yourself as you ponder the past year. But remember that you have given so many people so much gorgeous writing, so much to ponder and to feel, and that is all worth celebrating. ❤️
Fellow July child here, Chloe... I felt every word of this. I agree with River - visceral is the perfect word to describe this stellar poem. 🖤 🦀
Incredible as always Chloe. Such visceral visuals here.
Wow
Congrats
Beautiful work! Very interesting take! I'm a a Cancer baby too but this is exactly how I feel in the winter months! I feel most alive in the summer months! Great work! Congrats on your TOP STORY!
We've all been there. Another year and what do I have to show for it? Great read.
There are so many lines I love in this poem. Fantastic. Great writing Chloe.
Congrats on a TS! This was beautifully written!
I am also July's child and I totally relate to this. Beautifully expressed. Congrats on the TS
This is amazing.
Lovely & loving it!!! Congratulations on T S too!!!❤️❤️💕
Chloë, this poem captured my attention from the very first line, "I am July’s child, against my will." Congratulations on Top Story! 👏
Love the title that sets the stage for this self- assessment of sorts. I’m also a July child, on the Leo side. Thank you for crafting this eye opening piece and congrats!
Wow. The sweet and nostalgic heaviness of summer. I feel similarly. Very musical.
This is beautiful, as always. You have such a way with words. I quite like summer to an extent. But I can totally feel the emotion and anxiety the season brings to you through your expressive verses. Bravo on a well-deserved Top Story!
This is so beautifully written. Well done and congrats on a well-deserved Top Story. You earned a new subscriber :)
This is amazing. I’m so glad Jenny shared it. I have a late summer birthday, but I find cancer season incredibly depressing because of the issues it brings up in my natal chart. July is hard for me. And the amount of pressure society puts on us to achieve “milestones” with every solar return and new year is ridiculous. Even though this is a harsh topic, your language here is stunning.
Chloe, this is stunning. I read it last night, fell asleep and woke up thinking of it. From the first line, “I am July’s child, against my will.” I’m also July’s child. I don’t know if you’re a Cancer or Leo but I’ve a feeling you’re in Cancer. “ In the rare moments when I am not slow and care-laden, my temper bursts forth, with all the sudden ephemeral rage of a summer storm before sinking back into the melancholy humidity.” -this is so beautifully painful, relatable and written with words from somewhere far from here. If I may- you’ve done much with this. Enough for the year. It’s sometimes hard to see through through a lens of pain so maybe I can help, for this one moment. You've brought something to life and it’ll forever be yours. People don’t write like this. Not anymore and maybe not ever. I hope you can find some joy in that and true moments of happiness on your birthday. They’re sometimes hard. Especially the older we become. I have similar feelings but my definition of accomplishment and happiness is ever changing and often moments of grace and beauty become just enough. Thank you, truly for sharing this piece. Also, I apologize for not being able to put an umlaut over the e in your name. I’m not sure where you’re from and I only have English, French and German keyboards. I’m richer for having read this ♥️
Sometimes it’s nothing for years, and then it’s all at once. ❤️ reminding myself of this too
Hey! We have the same birth month! If I'm honest I face this milestone with the self-critical melancholy that you express so well. But in my better moments, this is how I feel: https://todaysurvey.life/poets/welcome-july%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E (Hope you don't mind my sharing this link on your piece -- I don't usually do that!)