Long Afternoon at the Edge of Sister Pond
As for life,
I'm humbled,
I'm without words
sufficient to say
how it has been hard as flint,
and soft as a spring pond,
both of these
and over and over,
and long pale afternoons besides,
and so many mysteries
beautiful as eggs in a nest,
still unhatched
though warm and watched over
by something I have never seen -
a tree angel, perhaps,
or a ghost of holiness.
Every day I walk out into the world
to be dazzled, then to be reflective.
It suffices, it is all comfort -
along with human love,
dog love, water love, little-serpent love,
sunburst love, or love for that smallest of birds
flying among the scarlet flowers.
There is hardly time to think about
stopping, and lying down at last
to the long afterlife, to the tenderness
yet to come, when
time will brim over the singular pond, and become forever,
and we will pretend to melt away into the leaves.
As for death,
I can't wait to be the hummingbird,
can you?
Mary Oliver, from Owls and Other Fantasies
With time enough for a long walk in the woods and a visit to this hidden pond, my mind quiets with thoughts of the edges where things spill into each other and become their opposites. Looking at things inside and out there is no concern for success or failure or how to make things permanent. Every moment is the perfect moment. Joy is elusive and disappears as we approach, and oftentimes the distance feels enormous and the effort overwhelming. Yet, joy waits, and longs to accompany us.
I try each day to find some means of joy or comfort or delight. My delight today was in the reflections of fall color in this little pond in the woods. Where was yours?
13 comments:
Beautiful image, Laura.
My delight today was the taste of BBQ chicken pizza that made my nose run, but I like your delight better. Thanks for sharing it.
Today was windy, wet,grey, damp and sleet is now hitting the windows. Darkness came before dinner. My little delight was this post.
I agree with Ruth. I gasped as I read this post. This post was my pleasure, along with the little nuthatches hanging in the bare river birches before the sun set this evening.
My delight was having my dog snuggled beside me as the wind howled and the season's first snowflakes swirled.
My delight--hot cocoa for the first time this fall. I'm sure it will lose some of it's "thrill" by February's chill, but today it was a reunion with an old friend.
Today was very cold.
I'm a little late, but certainly my pleasure today was reading your post. I also saw an impossibly red sugar maple, snuggled among some yellow birches and brown/orange oaks, while driving to work this morning. Unspeakably beautiful.
I'm ready for a long walk...
That's a beautiful picture. My joy today was visiting at the dental office where I used to work.
First I love that poem.
My delight was catching a beautiful sunset peaking from underneath a dark bank of clouds. We had rain all day and wasn't expecting to see the sun.
How lovely...the poem, the photo and your words.
I try to stop and see the lake I live by, even in the busiest days. I just know that I'm missing so much by my busy-ness.
Laura,
That was a very calming read. After a hectic few days and missing the field, shore and birds.........it helped.
I look forward to reading more.
Bill
(met you at the Cape May Birds & Blogs) or whatever it was called.
As always, Mary Oliver's poem is stirring, but your words - "with thoughts of the edges where things spill into each other and become their opposites" give off light, too.
The photo is truly, lovely.
Amy: thanks for stopping by! And for sharing your guilty pleasure. I love pizza too much, myself.
Ruth: Thank you. ;-)
Mary: That sounds really beautiful and relaxing.
Lynne: Lucky you to have snow so soon - hope you enjoy it!
Nina: Cocoa sounds very delightful!
Delia: Thanks for sharing a pretty view. The color here is really nice this week, too.
Diva Kitty: Hey!
Jean: Glad to know someone who actually likes going to the dentist!
Sandy: It is nice. Just when I think I've found a favorite of hers, I read another. ;-)
Gary: Hi and welcome again. Life does seem to get in the way, doesn't it?
Bill: Hi! Glad it was a nice read for you. I'm missing the field tonight too.
Cathy: Thanks for saying so.
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