The Vision of Sir Launfal

from The Vision of Sir Launfal
by James Russell Lowell

And what is so rare as a day in June?
Then, if ever, come perfect days;
Then Heaven tries the earth if it be in tune,
And over it softly her warm ear lays:
Whether we look, or whether we listen,
We hear life murmur, or see it glisten;
Every clod feels a stir of might,
An instinct within it that reaches and towers,
And, groping blindly above it for light,
Climbs to a soul in grass and flowers;
The flush of life may well be seen
Thrilling back over hills and valleys;
The cowslip startles in meadows green,
The buttercup catches the sun in its chalice,
And there's never a leaf nor a blade too mean
To be some happy creature's palace;
The little bird sits at his door in the sun,
Atilt like a blossom among the leaves,
And lets his illumined being o'errun
With the deluge of summer it receives;
His mate feels the eggs beneath her wings,
And the heart in her dumb breast flutters and sings;
He sings to the wide world, and she to her nest,—
In the nice ear of Nature which song is the best?

Now is the high-tide of the year,
And whatever of life hath ebbed away
Comes flooding back with a ripply cheer,
Into every bare inlet and creek and bay;
Now the heart is so full that a drop over-fills it,
We are happy now because God wills it;
No matter how barren the past may have been,
'Tis enough for us now that the leaves are green;
We sit in the warm shade and feel right well
How the sap creeps up and the blossoms swell;
We may shut our eyes, but we cannot help knowing
That skies are clear and grass is growing;
The breeze comes whispering in our ear,
That dandelions are blossoming near,
That maize has sprouted, that streams are flowing,
That the river is bluer than the sky,
That the robin is plastering his house hard by;
And if the breeze kept the good news back,
For other couriers we should not lack;
We could guess it all by yon heifer's lowing,—
And hark! how clear bold chanticleer,
Warmed with the new wine of the year,
Tells all in his lusty crowing!

This poem seems perfect for the occasion - Today, we were blessed with such a rare and pleasant summer New England day, which honestly we don't get too often. The perfect temperature, beautiful clouds, breathtaking sunset, clear skies, friendly people, happy children, ice cream cones aplenty, a calming breeze, flowers blooming, bees buzzing, grass swaying, buds ripening, the sun soaking everything in its path...

It's days like today that we begin to truly appreciate summer in all its splendor. Those cold bitter and harsh winter days leave us longing for times like these where we can have no worries and stay out late with the skies still bursting with purple, yellow, orange, pink, and blue...it's so calming and humbling and momentous all at once, sometimes I find myself feeling so small and insignificant in the world...after all, I'm just one creature on Earth, and days like these make me feel like it could swallow me whole in no time.