Wednesday 21 December 2005

Happy Winter Solstice!

Happy Winter Solstice to all. Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year. As of the 22nd, the days will begin to get longer and we can all begin to look forward to sunlight and spring. Have copied a poem below in celebration.

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper
So the shortest day came, and the year died,
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive,
And when the new year’s sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, reveling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - Listen!!
All the long echoes sing the same delight,
This shortest day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, fest, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.
Welcome Yule!!

P.S. Loosely related…I lost my favourite, ‘born again pagan’ t-shirt somewhere…I’m guessing on the way to or from the laundry room. So sad:(

1 comment:

Suzer said...

Thanks for the poem Susan. Have a great holiday.
Terry

Commented by Terry on December 21, 2005 at 12:42 am

Do you consider yourself pagan, Suze?

Commented by kivadiva on December 22, 2005 at 9:16 pm

I don’t categorize myself really, but I do like some of the elements of paganism.

Oh, and I found my t-shirt:)

Commented by Suzer on December 27, 2005 at 1:16 pm