On Saturday I finished a sonnet about Egypt, and I thought I might interrupt my tale of young adulthood on Martha’s Vineyard with a political interlude. But it’s Valentine’s Day, and this song, in its way, is about love. So I will continue as planned.
In the end of that summer the tensions were resolved for me. I managed to step clear of the judgement that I was doing a bad job, managed to find joy in the good I did and a vicarious enjoyment of my brother’s budding friendships. This final song brought me great comfort.
Many years later a mentor was helping me find my life direction. He asked me to talk about times I remembered with a sense of accomplishment. One of the highly salient ones was the writing of this song, in three chapters. He observed that this proved I was an artist - that of all the challenges that I may have overcome that summer, what I mentioned was this song. It took me another twenty years to figure out that I’m a writer, and that I can’t just divert that calling to do something else that seems plausible.
The song is still clear in my mind. It still pleases me to sing it. I showed it to my brother once, and he was unimpressed. When I shyly sang it to him, he said ah, I see how it works. So I guess this one does better with the melody than without it. I wish I could sing it to you.
Vineyard Haven Kite Song, Chapter Three
End of summer
Goldenrod afterglow
Now from somewhere
Things that you know come in clear again -
That life is love and laughter
In the end the things you’re after find you
All the dreams will reach their dreamers
You will too.
End of summer -
Knowing you have to go
End of summer
Thinking of times that you want to hold
But a golden haze enwraps them
And the summer days
Fuse into one,
A song, a ripple on the water
Waves and storms, and smiles for keeping warm
Tans will never last forever
Plans will change and who’ll remember?
-Someone will.
©Wendy Mulhern
August, 1978
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