Halcyon days are far and few, in and out through time. The peaceful, leisure, happy moments which roll in and out, like the tide: They come and go depending on the status of the world. If no war is abroad, and the economy’s well, then these carefree times are surely found, but it’s known too well that these times are hard to grasp. Even in the modern world, when this new era that has just begun: Though all may seem prosperous and simple and calm, it truly is not this way.

But just was does halcyon mean? How can it define the nature of a time? In fact, where does it even come from?

Halcyon pertains to the halcyon, which was anciently said to have laid her eggs in nests or near the sea during the calm weather about the winter solstice. The word itself has a Latin origin, as most words do, and comes from the Greek alkcion. The years have not edited the meaning too much, but the word now refers to happiness, or calm itself.

So yes, skim the surface of society in general, and indeed you will find harmony and prosperity, all that is halcyon. Watch the reflection of a pond and you will see the sun’s reflection: Of all the joy and pleasure of warmth that serene days can provide. The economy seemingly at a stable balance, the world not at war, and society bounding towards an advanced and bright future.

But this view is flawed, as all perspectives are, for it lacks the insight of the unfortunate side. Halcyon days, or golden days: They are defined differently by class. The rich forever have flourishing times, the middle class varies depending on a plethora of small details, and the poor rarely have a nice meal never mind a halcyon day.

Not only that, but the world itself is not halcyon, not at all. If you look beyond the shimmering surface, and instead dip a head below, the grime and soiled placid water is teeming with parasites and lingering oil from run-off from a factory. Indeed, the world is not as it may seem. These ‘halcyon’ times are no more than a dreamt up illusion to still the nervous hearts of those cowards too frightened to face the problems of society as a whole.

The truth is, this is not a golden age.

Small but many wars and battles are thriving all around the globes surface, rarely talked about but never the less present. The economy, at least by American standards, while not terribly bad, is still struggling to keep itself decent. At any time, a single punch could throw it off its balance. More and more outbreaks of violence, especially among high school students in America, have turned society into a dangerous and bloody place. The over usage of pollutants, without aid to cleaning it up, has caused many places in the world to become deleterious. Not only that but the world itself is getting ill, and no one seems to care, save a sage few.


It is just as Walt Whitman’s poem goes: The halcyon days flow in and out, like the tides in a bay. They change depending on a persons view, which is influenced by their status and personality. They are all the time, and none at all. But for these days is why most live, why humans live: For the happiest times of their lives. “Then for the teeming quietest, happiest days of all!
The brooding and blissful halcyon days!(Walt Whitman)”.