Summer Reflections
From the Muse Agency
It is a place whither I’ve often gone
For peace, and found it, secret, hushed, and cool,
A beautiful recess in neighboring woods.
Henry Timrod, ‘The Summer Bower’ (1965)
We’re in the middle of a heatwave here in the UK and Europe and we hope you’re all keeping cool and finding a shady spot in nature.
We had a beautiful Midsummer Muse on Wednesday to celebrate the Summer Solstice. Thank you to all those who joined us and shared your words and reflections.
For many, this point of the year is a good time to pause and reflect. Perhaps, given our current world climate, we might want to think about all those small things that have made us smile in the last day/week/month/year - the fox cubs playing in the sun, a conversation with a much-loved friend, that first lick of ice cream. Set a timer for five minutes and list them all, as fast as you can, in no particular order. Then read them back and underline any that you want to remember or explore further.
And for those who’d like an additional prompt, we could take inspiration from the opening to Henry Timrod’s poem, ‘The Summer Bower’, and think about the places where we’ve gone for peace and found it.
The Muse Agency will now be taking a break over the summer.
But, we will be back, with more Musing and a special Michaelmas Muse on Wednesday 23rd September 2026 at 12 noon (UK BST).
And our Autumn Muse series of creative writing workshops will continue from Wednesday 7th October 2026.
Please mark your calendars and more details will follow nearer the time.
Until that time, wishing you all a very happy summer and may the Muse be with you!
Co-founders of the Muse Agency Press