Longest Days

I have been looking forward to lighter nights all winter; instead of closing the curtains against the dark at four o’clock I can leave them open until ten. Birds feel the same way and continue to sing until late, lending the day a cheerful ending. Although the sun has neglected to put its hat on for most of June, winter depression has lifted and I have hopes of brighter days to come.

lingering twilight
a single star peeks through cloud
another wet day

Kim M. Russell, 17th June 2024

Image by Piotr Janus on Unsplash

It’s Haibun Monday at the dVerse Poets Pub, with Frank as our host, and we’re writing about an astronomical event, this year’s first Solstice, on Thursday, June 20.

Frank explains that a solstice isn’t a whole day but a moment, when the sun is farthest north in the sky. On this solstice, the sun will be directly overhead at noon as viewed from the Tropic of Cancer. In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice marks the shortest nights and longest days of the year and, in the Southern Hemisphere, it marks the longest nights and shortest days.

He goes on to tell us about the solstice in ancient cultures, as well as a bit about the science behind it, and shares haibun and haiku to inspire us.

Frank invites us to join in the celebration of the year’s first Solstice and write a haibun that alludes to either the summer or winter Solstice.

38 thoughts on “Longest Days”

  1. Like me you you also love the long days… even longer here. As I’m writing this it is still daylight… and it will never really go beyond dusk at this time of the year. Sorry that you have so much rain. we are spared and it is getting slowly a bit warmer too.

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    1. Thank you, Björn. Today we had more sunshine than rain, so things are looking up. I started my new regime of aqua aerobics and swimming today, and I enjoyed it.

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  2. The evenings are so much longer now, and often the cloud breaks at sunset. Like you, we’ve had mainly damp and gloomy days with a few very hot and stormy ones. Spring/early summer just didn’t really happen this year.

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  7. This is such a lovely haibun, Kim … not only do I appreciate daylight until well after 9 and the chirping of birds … I love their songs at 4:15 when they begin. I normally arise between 4:30 and 5:00 ~ best time of my day.

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  10. I enjoyed the imagery of the sun as a gentleman from an earlier era (like my grandfather) who would wear a smart hat to go out, when I read,”Although the sun has neglected to put its hat on.”

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  12. I do hope you get some brighter days soon., so you can enjoy those birds chirping until the evening. A lovely seasonal haibun and I love the idea of a single star peeking through the clouds at twilight!

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  15. We had a long siege of rain but it has been sunny and hot here for several weeks. I love it although I am longing for a nice thunderstorm soon. Maybe at night – it always makes me feel so calm.

    I love your Haiku with a peeking star.

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