Born on the equinox 
Earth's time of greatest flux 
Hastening, racing 
One solstice to the next 
Back and forth, back and forth 
Swinging, swaying, flailing 
We are trapped within this tension
Of infinite opposites
Times passage, year upon year
The one true constant

Do the opposites coalesce and dissolve in death?
Do we take the best parts of ourselves forward
And leave the ugliness behind?
Or are we forced to return 
Back and forth, back and forth 
Between here and hereafter?

Winter solstice
Our occultative trough
But beneath the surface
Psyche is busy
New clashes of unconscious opposites
New syntheses of potential
Slowly turning, yearning toward Spring

As a lover of birds
And poetic flights 
I wish a Merry solstice to all
And to all a good night!

Wood block art by Kawase Hasui