Solstice Sonnet

Rise! Oh, rise! Victorious Sun!
The Night was cold and hours long
Rise and reach across the horizon
Rise, oh, rise! Glorious Sun!

The days grew shorter under winter's harsh hand
And cold and darkness spread o'er the land
While night's strength grew ever stronger
And the darkness till dawn grew ever longer

And the people of the world looked with dispair
Crying where is the Sun hidden, where oh, where?!?!
For the fields were dying and the shoots did not break
And the animals shivered as more lives night did take

The world groaned in anguish beneath winter's cold
When suddenly heard was an old legend told
That the sun had run and hidden herself away
Her heart grown so cold would no more mark the day

So they sent for Venus and Cupid her son
To see if they could find the special one
To call through the stone and unlock the part
Where the Sun had grown cold so deep in her heart

They found a young poet, never before kissed
Who was son of Boreas and ruler of mists
And so Cupid drew forth his arrows so sharp
And struck fast and true in the young heart

And at that moment the horizon did change
As the sun peaked over before retreating from range
But no arrow was needed for the boy was smitten
And flying on the winds he followed as his heart was bidden

He flew hard and fast following mornings trail
And finally found the stone, but to no avail
For the Sun had entered in her stoney place
And he could find no entrance upon the rock face

And so he stood outside her iron doors
And pulled out his lyre and played a few chords
And sang with his heart to the retreating Sun
And his words were so sweet the doors were undone

But he did not enter into her secret space
For he was also a gentleman who knew love's pace
And so he sat outside her door and sang on
Playing and singing her many love songs

And deep in the heart of the stoney earth
Serrounded by her jewels of greatest worth
There was the Sun in all of her glory
Listening breathlessly to his love story

And with all her being she would have run to him
But she had a small doubt where his love did begin
And so she arose not in love but with great dread
And from the dark earth brought her beaming gold head

And looking upon the singing young poet
She marked Cupid's arrow and rightly did know it
And turned her face as clouds covered the skies
And the flood gates were opened as tears filled her eyes

For her heart was breaking deep within her breast
For she then knew that his love came from the arrow in his chest
And that it was merely sent by Cupid and his mother
To bring her out by one way or another

But seeing her tears and hearing her cries
The poet drew near and dried the tears from her eyes
And with his other hand he grasped the hard golden shaft
And drew it from his heart with a painfilled gasp

And she filled with dread as he fell to the ground
And he lay there quietly without uttering a sound
But just as the last of hope's light was dying
He looked up at her, and she saw he was crying

"O, Aurora, my Sun, my Glorious Dawn.
Now that the Cupidian arrow is gone
The cork is removed, the dam is undone
And my love pours now forth for only one.

For you, fair Dawn, fairest Morning Light
The only one I could love, for whom I would fight
I love you now more, no need for Cupid's arrow
I love you with all my being, my flesh, bone, and marrow

And I never wish to be apart from your beautiful eyes
To part from your touch, or your heart's longing sighs
I love you, with all of my heart yes, I do
So let us rise now together into the heavens blue

And so the sky was filled with Boreas' white mists
And the Sun rose within it, and there the two kissed
And so the whole heaven was bathed in her golden light
And the world rejoiced at the lover's first flight

For the Soltice has come, and the Sun had returned
And the seasons began changing, as all creation had yearned
And the Sun found her heart's cry answered at last
By the answer from his heart, always with her, stead fast