Cicadas and katydids
Sing from the branches of the lilac bush
And whippoorwills call
From the lacy green weeping willow tassels
And fragrant buds unfurl their petals
While owls hoot to each other
And the Moon looks silently on
While Fairies dance and sing
Its July and the hot nights are filled with the sound of the cicadas singing in the trees. It's the song of summer here in the Midwest, one I have heard for as long as I can remember.
We called them locusts as kids, and I was slightly terrified by the empty shells I found clinging to the rough bark of trees. The angry buzz of a live insect can still startle me, but my fear has evolved into fascination and I've discovered this noisy insect in some unexpected places -like France.
The Cicada motif can be found everywhere
in Provencal France, even in the fabrics!
These weighty little clips are used to keep the picnic cloth from blowing away
This ceramic wall vase holds a handful of garden blooms
Souvenirs from trips to the south of France are sure to include some cicadas, especially in pottery.
My favorite "soap on a rope" in the shape of a cicada with the scent of lavender is only a memory now, but the serenade of the cicada continues to evoke memories of summers gone by.