After a long week at work, I’m usually too tired or too mentally drained to be very creative. Which breaks my heart because writing short stories and poems and journal entries and novels has always brought me such joy.
It feels like my imagination has been hiding in a safe room, unable or unwilling to leave. I’m convinced she’s hanging out with my muse since both have been MIA in recent years. As is my nature, I keep that safe room fully stocked with books and food and fresh water so who knows when they’ll come out again. Yet once in a while, when I peer through the tiny window in the door, I can spy a bit of magic.
On Thursday morning, the northern hemisphere welcomed the Summer solstice. While the solstice marked the arrival of torment for me — damn you Summer migraines — it was also the longest day of the year. As someone who vastly prefers the nighttime, I took some comfort in knowing that from this point forward, my blessed darkness was on its way back.
To celebrate, I applied that bit of found magic to a challenge issued by New Hampshire Pubic Radio: Sum up this season by writing a haiku. I managed to write two, and I’m thrilled to say NHPR broadcast both of them:
as dawn broke this morn
summer’s light bathed New Hampshire
the solstice is here
* * *
Summer Solstice
first day of summer
season of heat, bugs, migraines
bring back the darkness
One Comment
Bob Sassone
I had the same reaction on the summer solstice. It’s the longest day of the year and the summer is just beginning, but I smiled to myself because I knew that now the countdown to fall begins! I can’t wait until Labor Day.