August Turns August grips in wrath scorching earth, clinging to her brief reign but Autumn is near presenting herself encroaching ever so slowly into August’s slumber beasts of the field seek shelter birds of the sky take refuge and flowers of the fields yield offering final breaths of color to the shifting sun weary bones left to dry in the valley knowing, yet, what the Lord has commanded August relents her love only understanding how to burn, she gives to His kin their due peace their souls may find rest So August turns to Autumn who first brings warmth only to withdraw into darkness for in darkness she will conceal True Light The Word to be unveiled a revelation of Life Everlasting brought to the dead Brought to Winter, a caring mother brooding life beneath the surface 'til the Father speaks life of green to Spring He calls justice out of the depths that the New Life bear fruit To Summer, He calls again to shepherd the fruit of the branches to feed the beasts and birds and flowers working the good for those who abide Yet Summer by her end is bitter, forgetting how to withhold Summer becomes August Yet still, August Turns
P.S. The illustration above actually graces my home library. Each flower in the vase is numbered and beneath the vase are the corresponding names of the plants by those numbers. The eagle-eyed readers may be able to see the word August under the flower pot. I assume this print is part of a calendar series featuring various plants but I have no way to confirm that. And unfortunately, I can’t spot the artist’s name on the print anywhere. My wife found this print in a thrift store while we still lived in Savannah, Ga. and it’s moved with us a couple of times since. It obviously commands my attention. Especially in August.
I've started paying more attention to the changing of the seasons and how the sunlight changes throughout the year. I enjoyed the cyclical imagery throughout this poem and all of the scriptural imagery!
Using reverse image search I was able to identify this as part of Henry Fletcher's Twelve Months of Flowers, from 1942. all twelve months can be found online. Here's an etsy shop that seems to have them all, along with some other things! https://www.etsy.com/market/fletcher_months_print