Solstice

The blackbird’s on the roof again
Singing out his truth again
Offering a proof against
The darkness of the world
Crying out with all his might
Believing that his song just might
Hold on to the summer light
And keep the year unfurled

Because the days are getting longer
And as he sings his song a miracle occurs
The sun is lifted higher
And all across the sky the feathered edges blur
The blackbird’s on the roof
And he sings his song

The crows are on the move again
They’ve got something to prove again
They know that something new’s begun
Upheaval all around
Circling in bitter flight
Shouting at each bit of light
Blackened wings and clouds unite
To keep the trouble bound

Because the days are getting longer
And the heat is growing stronger, and it’s only getting worse
The sun is getting higher
And all across the sky the feathered edges blur
The blackbird’s on the roof
And he sings his song

There’s a Greenfinch in the hedge
He watches all these changes with a spark in his eyes
He flickers on the edge
Of reality and strangeness, then he looks to the skies
And in an instant he disappears
And the sky clears

The nights are drawing in again
The summer starts to dim again
And for the robin and the wren
Order is restored
The blackbird’s found another perch
High up in the silver birch
The crows are huddled round the church
Their offerings outpoured

Because the days are getting shorter
And the Greenfinch has bought us all some time to prevail
The sun is getting lower
We must listen to the crows before their feathered edges fail
The blackbird sings the truth
Do you hear his song?

(c) Rich Clarkson 2022

Photo by Rubén Bagüés on Unsplash