Now it is May among the mountains,
Days for speeches in the valley towns, 
Days of dream and days of struggle,
Days of bitter denunciation.

Now it is May in all the valleys,
Days of the cuckoo and the hawthorn,
Days for splashing in the mountain ponds,
Days for love in crowded parks.

Now it is May in little gardens,
In square allotments across the railway,
Days for song and dance and roaming,
Days for action and achievement.

Now it is May in the minds of men,
Days for vision and for marching,
Days for banners and for music,
And beauty born of sacrifice.

Idris Davies (1905-53) was born in Rhymney, Monmouthshire, and worked underground in the local colliery, which was closed following the 1926 General Strike. Davies then trained as a teacher and began writing poetry. This poem is from The Angry Summer (1943) a long poem documenting the experiences of the south Wales industrial communities during the 1926 General Strike.