Before the Kingfisher lovers
We had never seen wings coalesce into fireworks of sapphire and ruby, opal and onyx 

We had never heard voices under the wind whispering devotions, we had never heard
Underneath the wintery 
Wind.

Who knew under the smell of the air was the scent of the sea, shimmering with the salt meant for stinging then healing? 

The fireworks above us transcend higher, higher, singing —
free, free,
Free.

In the Ancient Greek mythos of “Halcyon,” two young lovers, Ceyx and Alcyone, meet tragedy after comparing themselves to Zeus and Hera, ultimately transformed into kingfisher birds by the gods in reconciliation. It has been said that every year surrounding the winter solstice, Aeolus, god of wind, dismisses the storms to ensure the safe rearing of his daughter’s offspring. Similar to the legend, these “Halcyon Days” represent the cyclical metamorphosis of turmoil into repose.