Winter Solstice

Today marks the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. I wasn't sure exactly what that meant, so I found a little information, here.

Longest Night of the Year

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, “sun” and -stitium, “a stoppage.” Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.

I especially like that after the winter solstice days begin to become longer and nights shorter.

Below is a poem that I thought fitting for the longest night of the year!

BLESSED BE THE NIGHT

Twilight is a time for sharing - and a time for remembering - sharing the fragrance of the cooling earth - the shadows of the gathering dusk -

Here our two worlds meet and pass - the frantic sounds of man grow dimmer as the light recedes - the unhurried rhythm of the other world swells in volume as the darkness deepens -

It is not strange that discord has no place in this great symphony of sound-
It is not strange that a sense of peace descend upon all living things -
It is not strange that memories burn more brightly - as the things of substance lose their line and form in the softness of the dark -

Twilight is a time for sharing - and a time for remembering - remembering the
things of beauty wasted by our careless hands - our frequent disregard of other
living things - the many songs unheard because we would not listen -

Listen tonight with all the wisdom of your spirit.
Listen too with all the compassion of your heart, lest there come another night when there is only silence.

A great and total silence.

(Winston Abbott)