The Night Before Soltice (at Eagle Marsh)

Twas the Night before Solstice 
(In Eagle Marsh) 
Twas the night before Solstice when all through the marsh 
The animals were in their homes, cause the wind was so harsh  
Some borrowed down deep while others built their own huts 
The beavers horded wood while the squirrels stashed nuts 
The bats were all snuggled deep in dead trees 
While under the fallen leaves slept solitary bees  
The wood frogs all frozen, prepared to sleep through the cold 
While foxes and coyotes grew new coats that were a sight to behold 
When out by the barn there arose such a clatter 
The Great Horned Owl soared to the sky to see what was the matter 
At LRWP headquarter I flew like a flash 
Opened the door and saw a shadow was cast 
The moon shone brightly on the new fallen snow 
I closed the door quickly, it was 20 below 
I took another peak and what to my eyes should appear 
But a family of otter and a shy little deer 
The otters scampered around the deer’s prancing feet 
They were friends playing in the moon light, it was kind of neat  
 When they thought I had left I could hear them all speak 
The deer and the otter could talk only the birds could tweet 
They called all the marsh friends for a solstice celebration 
The clans began to gather, the wetland federation 
Eagles, hawks, and owl flew to the top of the trees 
While the mink, beaver, and muskrat swam to the shore with aquatic ease 
They honored their friends that had migrated away 
The Monarchs, the fowl, and the songbirds had all called it a day 
 The critters cuddled and danced and shared the food they had saved 
And when it was over they turned to one another and waved 
And I heard them exclaim as they crawled, flew, and swam out of sight 
“Happy Solstice to all and to all a wetland good night” 
 
Carl Jylland-Halverson