Songs of Summer
I write this just after the summer solstice and just before St John’s eve, a Vodoun feast day. The summer is a busy time for all of nature, least of all for those of us who mark moments such as this, these markers within the constant flux that is life. And it seems as though all the world enjoys the summer sun. If you go out early in the morning or in the evening, no matter if you live in urban areas or countryside, you will see the evidence for this in the animal world as well. The adolescent sparrows hatched from the first clutch of eggs, playing in the warm garden, their chatter loud. It instantly draws a smile. Along the river, if I am quiet, I might catch a glimpse of fox cubs playing under the watchful gaze of mother fox. In the woods, I might catch sight of the elusive deer just after sunrise or before sunset, eyes meeting for an instant that stretches into eternity before disappearing in the blink of an eye, a moment of pure midsummer magic.
Solar energy is potent. It fills us with energy and joy just as it does the land and the other beings we share it with. And perhaps there is something more, nostalgia tinged with the sweet taste of youths splendidly misbegotten.
A blessed solstice to those who celebrate!
The sun skims the horizon, breaking free and rising,
lighting the earth in its golden glow.
The sky is a show, all hues of blue,
pale deepening to cornflower
And insects sing in the long grasses.
Time lasts for eternity,
The air syrup thick.
Its scent hot, like ironed linen
And carries the perfume of unseen blooms,
Yellows and reds, pinks and purples. And with it all, they come unbidden,
Like images on my closed lids,
Memories made, forgotten, remembered,
No doubt to be forgotten again.
The hazy beauty of summer days,
The pleasure of its short nights.
But best of all
The grass between my toes.
Or sand.
EMMA KATHRYN
Emma Kathryn, practises traditional British witchcraft, Vodou and Obeah, a mixture representing her heritage. She lives in the sticks with her family where she reads tarot, practises witchcraft and drink copious amounts of coffee.
You can follow Emma on Facebook.