June – time of blossom:
Now summer is in flower and nature’s hum
is never silent round her sultry bloom
insects as small as dust are never done
wi’ glittering dance and reeling in the sun…
(from John Clare’s The Shepherd’s Calendar 1-4)
JUNE
Month of the Summer with longer nights.
Moon of horses Dyad moon Strawberry moon Summer Solstice
Buzzards learn to fly. Dragonflies flash.
Sunflowers open. Wheat ripens. Soft fruit time.
To roll a strawberry in the palm of your hand is to hold the weight
of so many weeks of sunshine, earth and water.
Iris, butterflies, rose.
Time of garlands, floral dancing, midsummer weddings.
In the fields, sheep seek shade, tuck together along hedges and shadow.
( An extract from June in my new book ‘Fresh Start: A Shepherd’s Calendar’ costs £4 and is available from me at rosecook108@gmail.com or info@greyhenpress.com )
Rose Cook 