6 Poems that Celebrate Summer Rays and Longer Days
The summer season inspires romance and adventure as the days stretch out longer and our hearts bask in the warmth of new opportunities to make memories. But the season itself also inspires so much admiration as we look around and take in the blue skies, the flowers in bloom, and the stillness and serenity of the water.
Some poems inspire us to seize the day, while others encourage us to rest in the stillness of our surroundings. Either way, there is so much in nature to appreciate and to be in awe of. I hope these poems get you excited to experience everything the season has to offer as you reconnect with nature right where you are.
1. Edmund Day
“While the spring showers fade
And the summer heat begins
We get a chance at everything
All over again”
I often think of spring as the season of renewal, but I love Day’s perspective of summer being a chance for new beginnings. The warmth and brightness of the season remind us what it feels like to be in full bloom, to feel the summer heat on our skin and the winds whispering promises of potential in our ears. As we enjoy the last few weeks of summer, may it serve as a breath of fresh air for our hearts. There is so much that is “on hold” right now, but we can find a certain warmth and hope alive and well in the nature around us.
2. Alix Klingenberg
“Sand on skin,
the smell of sunscreen,
bare feet running
down wooden planks to the sea,
laughter echoing off white waves as the sun
rises over a blue horizon.
You remind me of summer mornings,
bigger than a single moment,
you are an entire season of joy.”
The imagery and the emotion in this piece are so powerfully nostalgic, as it pulls the reader back into beloved summer memories. The natural elements of summer we love are so often interwoven with our most cherished moments: the sand and the sunscreen as we prepare for a day at the beach with loved ones; the childlike joy of running barefoot and laughing against a backdrop of waves and wonder. I appreciate that Klingenberg uses nature and summer to capture the immense feelings of love and joy for another person, adding even more dimension to this beautiful piece.
3. Tiffany Aurora—“Daylight”
“Twisting up
tulip stems.
Finding myself aching
for each summered kiss
that will come between now
& the withered sunflowers.
(I am so grateful
for the daylight here.)”
This piece overflows with warmth and thankfulness as Aurora reflects on the fleeting nature of summer and the bittersweet imagery of withering sunflowers as the season draws to a close. This piece inspires a wistful longing but it also compels us to acknowledge the beauty of this passing season, even as it transforms right in front of our eyes. Her next poem is a beautiful continuation of summer imagery as we try and take the best pieces of the season with us in our hearts:
4. Tiffany Aurora—“Sunflower Dreams”
“Fill me with
sunflower-ed breaths
under a turquoise sky.”
This poem captures the warmth from summer that we can hold onto long after the sunflowers wither and the sky’s turquoise hue fades. Nature can inspire us to hold onto hope, no matter how grey our days may become.
5. apoetnextdoor
“I look up at the sky
An imperfectly beautiful blue smeared with glorious white
A single bird flaps, flutters, and paints the sky.
Stillness.
Peace.”
Summer is so often a picture of adventure and activity. Pieces like this remind us to look for the stillness of summer, like a bird flying overhead or the changing colors of the canvas of sky stretched high above us. The sky and the clouds fill us with wonder and inspire our imaginations to run wild as we sit in awe and take in the serenity of the moment. While so much is in bloom and in motion, we are given these beautiful moments of peace to remember our summers with sweet stillness.
6. Aletheia Solace—“A summer kissed by rhubarb”
“Garden laid out
on the dinner table:
baby potatoes, sweet peas,
radishes and strawberries.
Held by the soft moss
under the apple tree.
We had nowhere to go
and no one to be.”
Solace has painted such a heartwarming picture of summer: simple and pure, yet so deeply profound and purposeful. Fruits and vegetables from a garden become the focal point of a dinner table, and you can almost imagine yourself spending your summer there, surrounded by love and serenity and “held by the soft moss under the apple tree.” This picture of being unhurried is a beautiful reminder to all of us to be present and to appreciate all that nature has to offer when we take a moment to simply be.
The allure of summer is found all around us, whether we are surrounded by water or sky. Every flower, every sunset, every creature wears summer so beautifully, and we can celebrate this through our poetry.
