We don't change our clocks back to GMT for a couple of weeks, but I'm already descending into hibernation mode... So, once again one post for two days :)
Day 23
The inspiration was Mary Oliver's poem 'Song of Autumn'
In the deep fall
don't you imagine the leaves think how
comfortable it will be to touch
the earth instead of the
nothingness of air and the endless
freshets of wind? And don't you think
the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,
warm caves, begin to think
comfortable it will be to touch
the earth instead of the
nothingness of air and the endless
freshets of wind? And don't you think
the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,
warm caves, begin to think
of the birds that will come — six, a dozen — to sleep
inside their bodies? And don't you hear
the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
the everlasting being crowned with the first
tuffets of snow? The pond
vanishes, and the white field over which
the fox runs so quickly brings out
its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its
bellows. And at evening especially,
the piled firewood shifts a little,
longing to be on its way.
and the photo prompt was Deepening
My pocket mantra by Liz Lamoreaux
Day 24
and the call to 'honour the Harvest Queen today as She Who Tends the Web of Life'.
I am mindful that my life is somewhat bereft of elders - especially women elders. My mother died aged 55. my mother-in-law lives over the States, and The Elder, whose photo resides on my altar never knew old age, as she died of breast cancer aged 32, so I never new my grandmother Florence Esther.
But as we count down to Samhain at the end of the month, and as the days and plants age and die around us, I am mindful of what a privilege it is to live to old age, to actually be an Elder, to see one's children and grandchildren grow and flourish. And once again, those who are no longer with us are ever-present in the Web of Life, as the perceived veils between past, present and future grow thin...
Lovely piece about the elders. My known grandparents all died before I was born but I was lucky to have some wonderful great aunts, and uncles, though nearly all died when I was in my early teens. And they lived a long way from us. None of them had their own children - one was a nun, one a priest, another's fiance died in the war and she never remarried, another was unable to have children. I still miss them.
ReplyDeleteAnd I really do need to get round to getting books of Mary Oliver's poetry!
Thanks for your lovely comment, Alison :)
DeleteYes, you must get some Mary O :) I have all her old poetry collections, but none of her new... I confess Dream Work is still my favourite after all these years... Think it's about 20 years old now!