In the cold of the shortest day at noon
he scratched a notch in the weathered barn board
where the peak of the bird feeder cast its shadow.
As days and weeks passed, he stopped to see
the progress of the sun as it threaded its way higher in the sky
and cast a lower shadow at the peak of day.
On June 21 he took out the knife again
and etched once more-
this time for the summer solstice.
High and low, low and high-
The interplay of shadow and sigh;
Ever changing-
Filled with daily notches of struggles and joys,
jealousies and cares,
loneliness and companionship,
defeats and victories.
As the sun etches a trail on its journey of light,
How much radiance do we?
This is a submission to Magpie Tales #19, writing around the theme of the above illustration.
Labels: Summer, Winter Solstice, poetry, reflection,
