Welcome Summer

First Published June 15, 2016

I was under the influence of an ear worm…again, when my footsteps took on the rhythm of the tune that had run through my mind for many weeks, the hymn, *Lord Jesus, you shall be my song. As I watched spring unfold around me during my morning walks, these words attached themselves to the melody of the hymn:

I walk in the quiet and cool of the morning

and breathe of the air newly-cleansed by a shower of rain;

the fragrance of blossoming flowers and fruit

is borne on the breeze in the fullness of springtime.

The warmth of the sun melts the mist in the distance,

unfurling the leaves ’til the boughs are concealed in the green.

A vista of earth, sky, and trees fills my sight

and beckons me onward toward the horizon.

The chirping of sparrows, unbroken and cheerful,

contrasts with the mournful lament of a singular dove;

and the trilling of robins unearthing each worm

all joyfully herald the dawning of summer.

Doreen Mierau (2016)

*Translated from French by Stephen Sommerville. Source: Les Petites Souers de Jesus and L’Arche Community.