<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><p style="margin: 0px 0px 6px; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: -0.24px; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">Summer Solstice</p><div class=""><br class=""></div><p style="margin: 6px 0px; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: -0.24px; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="">The garden is so full of its good green life -<br class="">Baby tomatoes swelling on the vine –<br class="">Pansies coming, rhododendrons going.<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><br class="">Cosmos opening up towards the sun –<br class="">Light lingers far into the evening now.<br class="">It is easy to ignore the return of the dark.</span></p><div class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: -0.24px; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 6px;" class="">We won’t notice that <br class="">tomorrow’s daylight lessens.<br class="">Summer is here, with its <br class="">warm days and baseball,<br class="">beach trips and wine in outdoor cafes.<br class="">Why should we watch for shadowy fingers<br class="">reaching around the edge of the doorframe?</p><p style="margin: 6px 0px;" class="">Dazzled by the light<br class="">We turn a blind eye to what comes this way.<br class="">Up the dusty road -<br class="">a stranger in a slouching hat,<br class="">approaches slowly and relentlessly<br class="">slicing through the heat shimmers.</p><p style="margin: 6px 0px;" class="">Take your time, friend.<br class="">Your pockets may be filled with blood-red rubies<br class="">but we are not yet ready for your gifts.<br class="">Take your time.</p><div class=""><br class=""></div><p style="margin: 6px 0px;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Maya Spector</p></div></body></html>