Solstice

 

Holly and Ivy, Comfort and Joy

Mistletoe, wassail, a shiny new toy

Carolling, harmony, Yule log aflame

Letters all written, does His list have your name?

Rime on the windowpanes, ice on the eaves

Hoar frost on tree branches naked of leaves.

Bonfires on hilltops cajoling the Sun,
Candles in windows guiding the One.

A wren for the Lady, a stag for the Lord,
Morris Men leaping with bells and wood sword.

Hobbyhorse in the nursery, Hobby Horse on the Green
Rocking the little ones, bowing down to the Queen;

Green boughs and berries, shoes by the door
Harvest’s last bounty, Winter winds roar.

Warm crackling hearth fires, bright twinkling lights,
Protecting our dreams through the long Winter’s nights.

Peace for a Blessing, For a Prayer, Gods’ speed

Dark Winter to Spring’s thaw, strong growth from the Seed.

Ivy and Holly, our lives a wreath-wheel

The Seasons a Circle, each New Year the Seal.

Ronda R. Scott-Marak
© 11 November 1999