If you know a Sagittarius, chances are that you love them. Astrology foretells that people born under this sign, or between the dates of November 22 and December 21, possess traits like wildness, an adventurous spirit, humor, and a tendency toward wanderlust.
For those of us who don’t belong to this sassy, free-spirited sign, the season still invites us to lean into these bold qualities within ourselves. Astrologist Claire Comstock-Gay sums it up this way: Sagittarius season “encourages us to live with an expansive, optimistic curiosity.” You might find yourself chasing previously stifled desires, as well as being driven by an urge to escape and explore. Let these works by Sagittarius poets fuel your inner fire sign.
“Blue Curtains” by Alex Dimitrov
Of course, Dimitrov—Sagittarius and one-half of the beloved Astro Poets—starts off the list. His poem “Blue Curtains” exemplifies a Sagittarian love for travel, glamour, and mystery.
He writes, “We were already late for everything,” a testament for the sign’s free-wheeling attitude toward time and constraint. “So I stood at the end of the room / and watched him. And between us / was a bed and a table and things / in a hotel— you know, / things that are anonymous / and belong to no one. / Like a sea or a life. / And all I remember is how expensive it was. / Not the room, but the feeling.”
Through this poem, Dimitrov conveys a classic Sagittarius attitude. He takes a simple, seemingly mundane setting and blowing it into a compelling, larger-than-life adventure in which readers can immerse themselves.
“Wild nights — Wild nights!” by Emily Dickinson
Sagittarians have a life-of-the-party demeanor and a wild imagination. Despite Dickinson’s life as a recluse, “Wild nights — Wild nights!” reveals her penchant for elaborate fantasy.
She exclaims, “Were I with thee / Wild nights should be / Our luxury! / Futile – the winds – To a Heart in port – / Done with the Compass – Done with the Chart!”
Casting away the compass and the chart perhaps reflects Saggitarians’ need to eschew societal conventions and follow their own whimsical paths. Given the continued speculation surrounding Dickinson’s love life, the poem might also remind you of your mysterious Sagittarius friend shrugging off questions about her latest Tinder date at brunch.
“The New Woman’s Words” by Claudia Lars
Salvadoran and Sagittarius poet Lars exudes the confidence of her sign in this feminist proclamation. In the poem, she embodies Saggitarius’s characteristic defiance and willingness to stand for what they believe in.
“Like a stubborn bee / I explore realms beyond words, / realms unknown to you,” she begins. Later, however, she rejects similes and metaphors, instead establishing an unabashed sense of self. “Woman. / Just woman. / Understand? / Not a fluttery bird in an all-important home, / not food for needy animals, / not a forest of bellflowers in some forgotten sky, / not a sorceress with her tiny monsters.”
The tone and message that Lars employs are dynamic and almost futuristic in its expectations for society, fitting of a Sagittarius’s blazing vision.
“Power” by Jim Morrison
Sagittarius = charisma, and perhaps no one proves this equation more so than Morrison. In addition to his work as a poet, he served as the lead vocalist of the Doors and made Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 greatest singers of all time.”
Despite this widespread acclaim, Morrison never needed anyone else to convince him of his own star power. He declares: “I can make myself invisible or small. / I can become gigantic & reach the / farthest things. I can change / the course of nature.”
Talk about a cool, seriously powerful affirmation.
“Black Lace Bra Kind of Woman” by Sandra Cisneros
Vibrant imagery, exclamation points, and authentic voiciness fill Cisneros’s prolific poetry. In “Black Lace Bra Kind of Woman,” she depicts the kind of character that’s surely a Sagitarrius, as well as displays the sign’s boundless zest and optimism.
“Woman zydeco-ing into her own decade. / Thirty years pleated behind her like / the wail of a San Antonio accordion. / And now the good times are coming. Girl, I tell you, / the good times are here.”
We should all let that last, vivacious line echo, letting it serve as our motto through Sagittarius season and beyond.
Feeling inspired? How can you incorporate a Sagittarius energy into your poetry this month?
