Gathering garlands I forage
for fronds of evergreen
to make eternal circles,
Haem berries crown the thorns,
Snow berries float on boughs,
Lazy light lilts, filtered by firs,
Stretching elastic shadows across the iron lands.
Hoary trails of infinite fractals
Freeze sleeping burrows beneath,
As fieldfares gather near cidery fruits
Reclaimed by the earth.
Marvels of murmurations
Soothe skies in glissandos of flight,
Glittering heavens reflect glittering grounds,
Crystal air sharpens sounds,
Amplifies scents of freshest soil
Preserved in frost,
hearts beating below.
Lichen glows pure in solstice light,
Shooting stars slice through the night;
Glorious glimpses of brevity in their golden wake.
The end of the holly king's reign divine,
Now is the time for fire and wine.
Suzanne Fairless-Aitken
