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Friday 17 September 2021

Farewell Swallows

Photo by Hans Veth on Unsplash 

Fly away, fly away over the sea,
Sun-loving swallow, for summer is done;
Come again, come again, come back to me,
Bringing the summer and bringing the sun.

Christina Rossetti

Swallows are on the move, thinking about heading south. You might still see some fluttering about restlessly, gathering on telephone wires, twittering away, reminding one another it's time to leave. These amazing little birds will spend about six weeks, travelling 6,000 miles (about 200 miles a day) to reach warmer climes and abundant food in South Africa.

Their departure certainly marks the end of summer, and warns us that our long winter is on the way. We won't see swallows again until next April. That's unfortunate for us, but just imagine the joy felt by people in South Africa when they look up to the skies in a few weeks' time and see the return of their summer visitors. Our loss is their gain.

Click here and here to find out more about swallows.

Writing prompts:

  • Write about a time when you have had to say goodbye to someone who was going on a journey. What happened? How did it feel?
  • Describe a moment in your life when you have lost something, but that has been someone else's gain.
  • Write about the approach of winter.  Do you welcome it, or does it fill you with dread?
Please share below your writing, or any comments about the blog.
 

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