An ode to summer nights and days and the hours in between, to the blooming of kitchens, dreams, nature, the imagination, and to writing odes, for no reason at all, other than that we love 𑁍 This piece has an intended form that is only visible from your desktop browser on the Substack website (not e- mail or the app). I invite you to take a moment to read it from there, for the intended effect of seeing the poem on a printed page and experiencing the dance between space and words :)
Summer is 𓍯𓂃 Summer is for midnight sparklers secret smiles a waltz across your golden Nile the sky is bird song at first light and I hold magic in my hands Summer is for starlight dips in flowing fountains of wild berries morning flowers in your hair swing and sip dancing dew you're most charming at midnight when an invitation comes for a garden party with the water fairies from the strawberry moon blooms elderflowers I dream of cats bathing in waterfalls of sunshine Summer is for honeyed rooibos with Sicilian blood oranges and the shimmering nectar of port wine a soft perfumerie cloud laundry floating fragrant on the line and sliding down vermilion ripe tomatoes on the vine I nap in a yuzu temple of green tea deep within a forest of rosemary Summer is for you, and for me blushing peaches flower in oolong our tea Summer is for flying so far and free as we lie under the jacaranda tree 𓍯𓂃
~ A Sensorial Mosaic of Summer ~
This summer song is a mosaic of some of my favourite stories and sensorial landscapes that remind me of summer, inspired by treasures sitting in my kitchen and on my bookshelf, many collected from my wanderings around the cities, fields, and gardens of Europe (now including my new home, Portugal), Asia and the US.
Here’s a little trove of some of the inspirations behind the poem to fill your kitchens, gardens, senses, and hearts with for the summer —
⟡ ⟡ midnight sparklers, secret smiles
Jazz Age, the Roaring Twenties, all is black and gold
⋆。°✩ a waltz across your golden Nile
a love song for summer afternoons baking in the kitchen, with lyrics to melt a Sagittarius heart
(this is Jason Wade’s 2001 cover of Jo Stafford’s original 1952 release)
𓇢𓆸 morning flowers in your hair, swing and sip, dancing dew
an absolutely luscious piece about making floral infusions by
, who writes (which I’m in love with) — how could a title of "I’ve been making floral infusions like I’m Persephone” about “sipping tiny meadows in glasses” not be Required Summer Reading?. ݁₊᪥⋆ a garden party with the water fairies
Australian-Japanese food writer, Emiko Davies, who runs a cooking school in Tuscany, writes about the ancient midsummer ritual of making acqua di San Giovanni, when women all over Italy collect local wild flowers and herbs to place in a bowl of water overnight and outside, on the shortest and most magical night of the year, when fairies and spirits are out and about — this continues as a tradition in Italy every year on 23 June
𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼 from the strawberry moon blooms elderflowers
on why June’s full moon is known as the strawberry moon, and my favourite elderflower cordial (coincidentally, best served mixed together with freshly cut strawberries, San Pellegrino, and New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, all as chilled as can be)
☾₊ ⊹ honeyed rooibos with Sicilian blood oranges
my favourite summer rooibos blend, delicious either hot or cold brewed, always with a delicate floral honey
୧⋆ ˚。⋆. the shimmering nectar of port wine
bought this for the gorgeous botanical bottle art, stayed all the way till the end for the wine ;-) honestly, you can’t go wrong with Douro Valley grapes in a fruity and floral white port blend
✧₊˚✧₊˚ a yuzu temple of green tea
for the pilgrims of yuzu and green tea, truly
𑁍 𑁍 blushing peaches flower in our oolong tea
I think you might cry drinking this, too — inspired by stories from
’s beautiful life in Tokyo❀༉˚ as we lie under the jacaranda tree
all I want to do is swim in a lilac sea, don’t you?
〰️ 〰️ 〰️
What’s in your summer mosaic collection? Please share below :)
Here was my Ode to Summer I wrote some years ago...
Summer streams in waves of wonder
Sand and sea to delight and ponder
Ripples of breeze tease linen and cotton
Dandelion drifts are all but forgotten
To wander in water and float in the swell
Erases the days to linger and dwell
Begin again and create anew
The warmth of sun surrenders to blue
The kiss of the night beckons the stars
Moon reflections lap at the shores
Darkness is punctured with pinpoints of light
Numb with the fears that turn to insight
Soon the daybreak and ombre of dawn
Capture the focus, conclusions are drawn
To soften the gaze and penetrate the sand
Billions of grains sift through your hands
Each is unique broken apart
The chemistry of cosmos began with a start
Fleeting this season of solstice and slumber
Summer streams in waves of wonder
Gorgeous Suyin!! I feel the fragrance of summer weaved through all your beautiful words 🌞🌸💖