annual perennial in poetry

(poetry contest entry for Dolgeville’s silver-anniversary of its violet festival)

silver bells chime out the summer-time
blooming across the ruddy-dusky skies
as if Christmas bulbs strung up on high
even though we’re still weeks until July

sterling splendors in these starry nights
even without glimpsing northern lights
even without evanescent eclipse sights
spread wishing from the month of May
throughout a year of hopes and mights
dreams skyward away as if paper kites
born again, for fancy fantastical flights
born again in untarnished fresh delight

a glowing argent streaking moon
showing off, the evenings of June
beaming out humid monsoons of
our returning annual celebrations
parades of joyous local traditions
lemonade and sunshine nutrition
in this twenty-fifth sweet edition
of the Violets coming to fruition

those sprouts rise to touch the sun
while we come together all as one
unified in our radiance and revels
the wond’rous magic of a festival
our own quarter-century perennial