…yesterday afternoon, Lauren, her daughter Madeline and I attended the closing performance of Uh Oh, Here Comes Christmas at my church. The play is based on Robert Fulghum’s book of that same title. It was all very well done; kind of amazing how much a cast of only seven in a very small theater can do.

But one song, close to the end, really stuck with me.  I always think of Winter beginning on the Solstice, but now, I think I like this interpretation better.

Monday morning

Spring begins tonight,
the longest night of the year.
The books may tell you otherwise,
but I say Spring is here.
My soul basks in the warmth
of this cold December night,
when our corner of the Earth
tilts gently toward the light.

Other living things
have tuned in to this change.
Look closely at the snowbound trees —
you’ll notice something strange:
tiny buds, translucent green,
are poised on every bough,
ready for the springtime dance
toward light and life, even now.

The calves and lambs and fawns
that will be next Spring’s brood
fill the wombs of mothers who paw
at the snow in search of food.
Young women’s winter coats
begin to bulge and strain,
as the growing fruits of summer love
become more and more plain.

Beneath the frozen soil
are other signs of Spring:
seeds are fracturing urgently —
new life is happening.
This is not the dead of Winter,
but the birth of Springtime, when
the sharp green edge of invincible life
cuts through the dark again.

And I’m a little part
of this Solstice celebration,
which is older than Christmas
and deeper than civilization.
Now as we make merry
in this season of joyful birth,
I will reach again for life with the other
beings on this Earth.

Spring begins tonight,
though it may not appear it;
for me, it is a rebirth of wonder
and a revival of spirit.
And tomorrow morning,
when the longest night is done,
something ancient and deep will stir in me,
and my face will tilt toward the sun.

Saturday afternoon

Sadly, our weather is not cooperating with the images this piece evokes – this morning looks more like the longest night. But the sun did shine gloriously this weekend; it was good to feel that warmth and light on my face.

Today, I’ve got baking and knitting planned. Both excellent ways to spend a chilly wet day. Hope your Monday – and your Spring! – is off to a bright start, too!