Solstice, sonnets, singing and seagulls

The morning sun on the eve of the solstice blazed dazzling fresh through the curtains long before the dog or I had even properly opened our eyes.

The summer solstice has of course been celebrated by people of many beliefs for as long as anyone knows. For example, the oldest of the ancient Druid stones at Stonehenge were placed there nearly 5,000 years ago: as the sun rises on 21st June, it shines directly on the Heel Stone. It is also the only day in the year when people are allowed to go right into the stone circle to commune and mingle and celebrate the dawn of summer with the spirits of their long-ago ancestors.Tomorrow, for one glorious day, the sun will appear to stand still: its path north (or south) comes to a stop before reversing its direction. So today also marks the penultimate day before the days reach their longest and turn to track the long descent into the mean cold light of winter.

But as I'm not heading off to welcome the coming of summer at Avebury or Stonehenge this year, what better way to celebrate than by enjoying a day of fabulous talents a bit closer to home.

I'd been invited by my friend, Maria McCarthy, to an event of words and music on the theme of All You Need is Love. Maria's a writer and poet and her work has been broadcast on the BBC as well as included in several anthologies and a couple of her own publications. Maria read out some of her own wonderfully evocative poetry and prose as well as from the works of others, interspersed with great folk music - played on acoustic guitar - and singing from her husband Bob Carling. There was an open mic session afterwards for poets too, and it was extremely moving to hear so many different voices and poems from people of all ages. The event was the first of its kind at the delightfully welcoming and cosy Teynham Library: I'm sure its success will mean it'll be the first of many.

I met up with my mother again later in the afternoon to look at an exhibition of crafts and art in Trinity Church here in Sheerness. The pieces on show had been made by people right across the age spectrum and included everything from paintings, photographs and lace making to clay models, tapestries, quilting and beautiful silk trinket boxes. And if the crafts were delightful, then the cream teas in the church hall next door were divine.

By the time it was the evening hour for for walking the dog, I didn't really think the day had much more in store other than a quiet stroll along the prom and perhaps meeting up with a couple of Kaos's canine chums. And we did indeed bump into Chris (and his brindle Staffordshire Bull Terrier, George) and Stewart (with his exuberant little white dog, Buddy), our regular walking companions. But by then I'd managed to acquire an injured herring gull which I was also carrying in the crook of my arm.

I wonder what the two policemen on patrol thought as we three humans, three dogs and a seagull walked past them?

***

Ancient legend has it that a rose picked on Midsummer's Eve (23rd June) will keep fresh until Christmas. At midnight on Midsummer's Eve, young women should scatter rose petals and say

Rose leave, rose leaves,

Rose leaves I strew

He that will love me

Come after me now

Their true love will then visit the next day

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Maria McCarthy's website is at http://www.medwaymaria.co.uk/