SUMMER WANES…
Meteorological end of summer (created by scientists to make more consistent climate comparisons) falls on August 31st.
Astronomical end of summer comes in mid-September with the autumn equinox.
MY end of summer?
Growing up, it was the Sunday of Labor Day weekend––the last day as kids we could wear white. After that, Mom packed away our white pedal-pushers, our sleeveless shifts, our espadrilles, to reappear the next Memorial Day.
As summer wanes, Emily’s Forever is on my mind.
Images courtesy of Pixaby
Forever is composed of Nows (25)
by Emily Dickinson
Forever is composed of Nows —
’Tis not a different time,
Except for infiniteness
And latitude of home.
From this, experienced here,
Remove the dates to these,
Let months dissolve in further months,
And years exhale in years.
Without certificate or pause
Or celebrated days,
As infinite our years would be
As Anno Domini’s.
This poem is in the public domain.
Summer’s End
by Patricia J. Franz
Would that Summer might never fade…
not the white glare of Sun’s high arc,
but golden Light that glows between grasses––
the soft breath of Silence that sits beside you.
Only as a day stills,
only when you enter,
can Now become Forever.
© 2026 Patricia J. Franz
Patricia Franz writes picture books and poetry. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Oh, Patricia, I love:
“the soft breath of Silence that sits beside you.”
What a lovely side-by-side pairing you and Emily make. I’d love to see you do more poem-alikes with Emily … now and forever. 🙂
I’m in this week with some words about the dear and wonderful Wendell Berry. Thank you for hosting!
Thank you, Karen. I have enjoyed an irregular-yet-ongoing conversation with Basho and Issa (from an old haiku book gifted to me from Linda Baie in a poetry swap. They inspired me to sit with Emily 🙂
Oh, wow, Patricia, your response poem is a perfect pairing with Emily’s. It is breathtaking, the images you have captured. And your Emilyesque use of em dashes and capital letters are spot on. A lovely place to alight for awhile. Thank you, and thank you for hosting.
Thank you, Denise. Emily is a consummate hostess 🙂
“the soft breath of Silence that sits beside you” – That might be one of the prettiest & most profound lines I’ve ever read. Gorgeous poem, Patricia. It absolutely holds its own next to our amazing Emily’s.
(Thank you again for enriching my summer with your swap gifts! Featured today.)
Here’s to now, here’s to forever…. xo
Thank you, Robyn. I love being in conversation with Emily. 🙂