December 21st prompt from trustingHim17: Today is the solstice. Include solstice-related folklore in today's story.
A drabble
Solstice
In silence, he stares at the flickering fireplace,
An unlooked-for gift from from his friends, burning bright;
A sturdy and carefully cut and trimmed Yule log,
A symbol of hope for the year's longest night.
Above, on his otherwise bare wooden mantelpiece,
A picture of Mary; the day they were wed;
And placed on his bureau, another framed photograph;
Holmes: lasting symbols of sorrow, instead.
He thinks of past Christmases, shared with his Mary,
Delight that Holmes' cases kept boredom at bay;
He damps down the fire, bids goodnight to those absent.
Tomorrow, alone, he must greet a new day.
~0~