A to Z Challenge | H

The Words

“Halcyon: In Greek mythology, Alkyone, the daughter of Aeolus, the god of the winds, became so distraught when she learned that her husband had been killed in a shipwreck that she threw herself into the sea and was changed into a kingfisher. The Ancient Greeks named kingfishers alkyon or halcyon. Legend has it that when kingfishers nest in winter they help to calm the rough seas and so halcyon has come to mean a period of calm and relief from worry and stress. She often recalled the halcyon days of her childhood.”

“Hypogeal: Hypogeal relates to things that grow or live below the surface and is an alternative synonym to subterranean. The two words are more or less interchangeable except that hypogeal relates to living things whereas subterranean merely means beneath the ground. Hypogeal plants germinate below the surface of the earth.“

“Hesperidate: In Ancient Greek mythology, Hesperides was a beautiful garden guarded by nymphs that contained trees bearing golden fruit. It was said to lie in the westernmost part of the world and produced the fruit given as a wedding present by Gaia to Hera on the occasion of her marriage to Zeus. The adjective hesperidate can be used as a classical allusion to any garden or orchard with beautiful fruit trees. In autumn the gardens fill with a hesperidate glow of golden colours.“

(from “1000 Words to Expand Your Vocabulary” by Joseph Piercy)

Morning Meditation

I fold
One leg over the other
Upright I breath
In and out fresh streams

I fold
Into my soul
Float down to the hypogeal garden
That lives beneath my surface

I fold
Earth over earth
Tilling the land 
My hesperidate trees blossom

I pick
The fruits of my labour
Halcyon moments
Suck in to savour

I know
I can come back to my enchantment
Of my fresh flowered garden 
Just a deep breath away

In my mind.