Midsummer Pause: A Poem by Fred Lape

This poem by the Arboretum’s founder sus­pends a moment in the ​“high sea­son” of sum­mer. It con­cludes with a mov­ing image of Nature’s bless­ing. The poem appeared in the col­lec­tion, ​“A Barn­yard Year.”

Mid­sum­mer Pause

There is a moment in mid­sum­mer when the earth
Paus­es between flower and fruit; the hay is cut,
The oats ripen, on pas­ture knolls pearly ever­last­ing
Lifts its small foun­tains of sil­ver and gold.
The skies are blue, and hills rest all day
Like men at noon under a shady tree.
The leaves have turned dark green, they hoard
Their strength, no strong wind harms them.
Boys swim under the big elm by the crick.
Locusts drone in the trees; the swal­lows
Gath­er on wires, and star­lings in flocks
Wheel over the mead­ows like curv­ing hands.