Linda B imagines herself as a kind of preserver, putting summer away the way people put up jam or pickles for the cold months. She "steals" a piece of the sun, catches the buzz of bees and a dragonfly's wings, and gathers flower petals. Then she boils it all down and seals it in small Mason jars, so that spring never has to leave her house.
The speaker feels grateful, resourceful, and a little defiant toward winter, which she describes as an "icy-fingered world." The jars are a stash of comfort to open on dark days. The ending turns generous, because she offers a jar to anyone whose happiness is hanging "by a string."
The mood is warm, playful, and hopeful. The fairy-tale feel of the recipe makes the poem read like a gentle spell, and it suggests that memories of good things can be stored and shared to get us through hard times.