No single season ever could fulfill all the hopes and dreams which we New Englanders impose upon our summers. With time of the essence, nothing short of perfect weather will do. Yet, as the wet, drab days of July have morphed into ones of heat and wildfire haze, we must embrace the imperfect. After all, isn’t that what we do all the rest of the year? Indeed, as Old Frog Pond Farm beekeeper, Don Rota, reminds us in this month’s featured poem, great beauty can come of a summer storm.

After the Summer Storm

by Don Rota

the sunset murmurs

peepers peep

fireflies mesmerize

bullfrogs deep

the crickets synchronize

bats banter about

the playful orchestra

of light and darkness

of silence and sound

dense pollen scent

wisps of fog all around

senses saturate

nature’s chorus

in droplets of time

the sultry breath

as summer exhales

Don Rota has been a beekeeper for over six years. He manages a dozen hives in Harvard, including those here at Old Frog Pond Farm, and helps mentor new beekeepers.. He advises everyone to “Find a place in nature to inhale the moment and embrace your senses.”