Evening in June

Listen while you read: Evening in June

By the light of the moon
When the night holds the secrets
Of the sleepy lagoon
I'm contemplating moonlight on the water
When I'm walking with you
On an evening in June

On an evening in June
It can get so sentimental
When I'm thinking of you
And I can't think of anything
Except being with you 
When the summer is through
On an evening in June

On an evening in June
Well, it lifts me up
When I'm talking to you
On an evening in June
When the flowers are in bloom
And the sky is so blue

Well, there's so many things taking place
That it's hard to keep up with it all
Keep your eye on the ball
And to make the right call
When we're longing for fall
On this evening in June

~  Van Morrison

Already five days into June, and I'm just getting around to my favorite song-of-the-month. Although I would be hard-pressed to name a Van Morrison song I don't like, What's Wrong With This Picture, released in 2003, contains some favorites, including this one. It's just a pretty love song, delivered in the romantic way that is quintessential Van. (I am often puzzled by the artists who come across as such romantics in their songs but can be so arrogant in their everyday lives, like Van Morrison and Ryan Adams, to name two.)

It sounds like the couple in this song are separated during the summer, considering lines like "when the summer is through" and "when we're longing for fall." But it would be folly to waste the beauty of an evening in June because of loneliness or longing. I know about this. Mindfulness would ask that we seek peace and joy in the moment instead of living in memory and anticipation. It is a hard practice, but worth the effort.

I have always been drawn to words that indicate the time of day or night. While words like morning, noon, and night can become meaningless and tiresome due to overuse, I love words like dawn, mid-day, twilight, dusk, and evening. I even like late afternoon. For me, these words conjure light and shadow, the slant of the sun, air temperature, and stillness. Add a season to any of them, and my senses are awash in color and contrast, aromas, and sound (or lack thereof). In other words, they help to create my mood as well as my sense of being alive and part of the ever-changing landscape. An evening in June? I'm there.

And this song is the perfect soundtrack.

My front yard on an evening in June.