Hibernal Solstice

Cherry

By marandina

Wed, 16 Dec 2020
  • 1972 reads
10 comments
 

Dark winter dawn

broken by shards

of sunlight beckoning

the shortest day.

 

A diurnal heraldry

calling Jupiter and Saturn,

a Christmas star

forged by skies.

 

Midwinter monument,

Newgrange tomb aligned,

watches the death and

rebirth of sun Gods.

 

Ancient stones await

on Wiltshire plains.

Silent solar winds

traverse empyrean Heavens.

 

Durrington Walls host

Neolithic ghosts,

feasting, animals mating,

crops being blessed.

 

Poles tilt once more,

light commanding night,

on a perpetual journey

negotiated through millennia.

 

Since the advent of time.

 

Footnotes:

Image at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Irelands_history.jpg/220px-Irelands_history.jpg. Free for public use.

Newgrange is a prehistoric monument in Ireland. Its entrance is aligned with the rising sun on the Winter Solstice. Stonehenge is configured to correlate with the sun setting at this time of year.

Certificate U
Poem
Miscellaneous Poems
Spiritual

Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

This poem is very much on my spiritual level Paul. The Winter Solstice will soon be upon us, when In the depths of winter we think about the shortest day and longest night. We light candles to remind us that the light will return in the Spring.

You describe this so well in your imaginative poem, which I very much enjoyed reading.

Blessings at this time and I wish you a Happy Winter Solstice.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I hadn't realised about the coming 'conjunction' (to our eyes!) of Jupiter and Saturn. Thank you for mentioning it!

I like your first verse for a bright clear December morning!

All have been fascinated by the turn of the year, and looking for the return of sunshine and warmth, and so has given rise to many religious vain rites down the ages. As we don't know the date of Christ's coming as the Light of the world, it has been chosen to be celebrated at such time also, where the darkness and our need for light is so impressive.

Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

Hi Jenny. Yes, the Solstice remains a special time for many even if it's steeped in ancient folklore rather than any practicality these days. Stonehenge is Zoom only this year. Thanks for reading. Paul :)

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading and commenting, Rhiannon. A beautiful observation, expressed with a kind of poetry. Paul :)

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Lovely, just my kind of poem. :)

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thank you. That's high praise coming from you! Thanks again. Paul :)

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this.  The solstice always feels like a special time.  I always put my Christmas tree up and decorate the house on the solstice, and it's a family event (when it can be!) - my kids make special efforts to be at home for the solstice, to help with the decorating, and because it's when I allow Christmas songs and food for the first time!  When they were little they were very frustrated that we were the last to decorate, but now they rather like it.  There is something very strong linking us to the shortest and longest days.

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for the read and comment. It seems to be underestimated in its importance and how people see the Soistice. I know I always think of it as the firing pistol for warmer times ahead. Especially this year of all years. Thanks again, airyfairy. Paul

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

I am always suspicious of this kind of thing it can't be easy to "backtrack' to calculate orbits the further back in time the more because of perturbations, apart from the fact that the equations of motion are all highly non-linear. The kind of thing they study in chaos theory. Well, I can't prove it and neither can they! Or?

Keep well! Tom Brown

 

Submitted by marandina on

Hi Tom. Thanks for the read and comment. I may have to do more research now you've flagged this. I find it fascinating. Thanks again. Paul