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I Say Solstice
by
Judith Heron


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Yesterday wet and cold; upcountry nearly
a foot of snow, power outage. Here only wind and rain.

People who keep track of such things celebrated
anyway, as faithful do. I waited for the sun.
 

Today, glorious! Perfect to welcome back the light.
Outside, I put up strings of Christmas bulbs

for hours, only a sweater on. The door open.
Trees, now festooned in colour, drape

into the tip of sun, turning. In the garden
I trim what autumn has left behind. Sweep

the deck of everything thrown down by birds,
fill the feeder again. A neighbour comes by

to gather sage and herbs for her turkey,
a little chat. I prune the last of the roses
 

their leaves damp with dew pick sprigs
of dusty miller gone to head, an apricot

wallflower. And then the crescent moon
rises over the weeping birch. Solstice bouquet.

 

© by Judith Heron.
Used with the author's permission.

 


Judith Heron lives in Victoria on Vancouver Island. She has been published in a number of chapbooks edited by Patrick Lane, and in three anthologies: A Murder of Crones (Ptarmigan Press 2007), The Wild Weathers: a gathering of love poems (Leaf Press 2012), and Poems from Planet Earth (Leaf Press 2013). Though she has always lived on the west coast of Canada, Judith cherishes the homestead traditions of her prairie heritage. She relishes the rituals of becoming an elder, which include permission to visit and work in variuos gardens and to spend more time 'with the birds.'

   


Post New Comment:
jtmilford:
A perfect poem and ending for bringing back the light. Beautiful
Posted 12/22/2015 09:29 PM
Shoshauna Shy:
Love the imagery and language in this.
Posted 12/22/2015 04:43 PM
Lori Levy:
Sounds so peaceful!
Posted 12/22/2015 01:50 PM
paradea:
Just lovely. I just went to my first Winter Solstice party. I loved it. So, thank you Judith Heron for this poem and thank you, Brenda Smith, Newton, NC for the party
Posted 12/22/2015 09:16 AM
Cindy:
It sounds beautiful.
Posted 12/22/2015 08:26 AM
rtaylor947@aol.com:
Lovely.
Posted 12/22/2015 07:26 AM
dmahoney:
A celebration! There is wonder in all.
Posted 12/22/2015 03:38 AM


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