Saturday 22 March 2014

Equinox

A couple of days late, maybe, but still to the point. Look, what's that strange, beckoning shape over there?


It's the gateway where days begin to be longer than nights.


Not long now, and the swifts will be here.  Time to quote Ted Hughes:
"Look! They’re back! Look!" And they’re gone
On a steep

Controlled scream of skid
Round the house-end and away under the cherries. Gone.
Suddenly flickering in sky summit, three or four together,
Gnat-whisp frail, and hover-searching, and listening

For air-chills -- are they too early? With a bowing
Power-thrust to left, then to right, then a flicker they
Tilt into a slide, a tremble for balance,
Then a lashing down disappearance

Behind elms.
They’ve made it again,
Which means the globe’s still working, the Creation’s
Still waking refreshed, our summer’s
Still all to come --
And here they are, here they are again
Erupting across yard stones
Shrapnel-scatter terror. Frog-gapers,
Speedway goggles, international mobsters...


from: Swifts
The globe's still working (we hope) ... 

3 comments:

Zouk Delors said...

One day and 17 hours late, to be (fairly) precise.

Perhaps I'm a little late (or early), but are you sure that's not the gateway to the place where you never have to go to work again?

Zouk Delors said...

http://space.com/25146-first-day-spring-equinox-earth-photo.html

Mike C. said...

Not quite yet -- more like the Autumn Equinox (subject to negotiation...)

Mike