Solstice Hymn
Glory to the troposphere,
precious ring of loving air—
Glory to the thunderstorm,
greening winter into spring —
Glory to the stratosphere,
shielding ultraviolet glare—
Glory to the water’s course,
cycled through each living thing—
May the shortest day
show that our time is full
May the longest life
share every beauty known
Glory to the mesosphere,
burning errant meteors—
Glory to the rocket’s flare,
subatomic fairy ring—
Glory to the thermosphere,
buffering ionic force—
Glory to the colored air,
borealis glimmering—
May the longest day
stretch possibility
May the shortest life
stimulate urgency
D.W. Baker is a poet, father, and teacher from St. Petersburg, Florida. His work appears in Sundog Lit, ballast, Overtly Lit, and Green Ink Poetry, among others, and has been nominated for Best of the Net. He reads for several mastheads, including Variant Lit and Cosmic Daffodil. See more of his work at http://www.dwbakerpoetry.com
Amethyst Review 