Birds Migrate when they sense
The Seasons Turning against them²
God himself Dances the Dance that
Turns – to bring the Year back Round³
Four Seasons fill the Measure of a Year,
There are Four Seasons in the mind of Man⁴
In Spring there is Hope, in Fall the Exquisite,
Necessary Diminishing, in Winter I’m Sleepy
As any Beast in its Leafy Cave, but in Summer
There’s everywhere a Luminous Sprawl of Gifts⁵
The Season Excellis with Sweetness that Smellis⁶
Winter Sun, of course, is kind, and Summer’s
Wind a savior, and I’ll merrily sing of Fall &
Spring when they’re on their Good Behavior⁷
When the Seasons Turn – Turn with them⁸
Spring, Summer, Childing Autumn,
Angry Winter Change our Wonted
Liveries – and the Mazèd World⁹
Maybe it’s just the time of Year,
Or maybe it is the Time of Man¹⁰
¹ Edna St. Vincent Millay, Theme and Variations
² Austin Smith, We Defy Augury
³ Ursula K. Le Guin, The Birthday of the World
⁴ John Keats, Sonnet: To Mrs. Reynolds’s Cat
⁵ Mary Oliver, Six Recognitions of the Lord
⁶ Alexander Montgomerie, The Night is Near Gone
⁷ Ogden Nash, It’s Never Fair Weather
⁸ Nick Makoha, King Alphonso
⁹ William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
¹⁰ Joni Mitchell, Woodstock