Today is the winter solstice, the day with the least daylight hours. It does not mean a lot for modern societies as we seem to have lost that fundamental connection with the changing seasons. If you want, you can create your own micro-climate that excludes most external factors, though personally, I can't imagine living in such a cocoon.

The day started out with showers but has morphed into bright sunshine, with the westering sun sending long shoots through the neighbours bamboo. Winter sun has that lovely yellow tinge that throws the garden into sharp relief, the shadows and bright patches jostling for supremacy. But the dark will win out today.

I was reading again a haiku anthology that I bought in Japan and found the following one by Ebba Story. It seems somewhat fitting today.

winter solstice
sheen of the cherry's bark
streaked with rain

I could almost have written the same thing myself, just substituting plum for cherry.