Lughnasadh

In August sunflowers stretch skyward

Gazing at their solar sire.

Constellations of salsify seeds drift,

Giving dimension to invisible breezes.

Cabbage whites cavort

Attempting to escape oblivion.

The sun climbs to its apex

Crowning the heavens,

Then plunges below the horizon

Becoming, again, a chthonic star.

On Lughnasadh

Autumn steps in front of summer,

A towering, backlit figure,

Casting a long shadow over the living.

The umber underpainting of maple leaves is revealed

As spring green dims.

Damp chill hides under the oak tree’s bower.

One red, three-fingered leaf

Falls to my feet,

An arboreal oracle.

Catherine Brooks, 2021

Photo: Catherine Brooks