Sunday, November 21, 2010

Pure joy. Pure joy.

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What the Day Gives

Suddenly, sun. Over my shoulder
in the middle of gray November
what I hoped to do comes back,
asking.

Across the street the fiery trees
hold onto their leaves,
red and gold in the final months
of this unfinished year,
they offer blazing riddles..

In the frozen fields of my life
there are no shortcuts to spring,
but stories of great birds in migration
carrying small ones on their backs,
predators flying next to warblers
they would, in a different season, eat.

Stunned by the astonishing mix in this uneasy world
that plunges in a single day from despair
to hope and back again, I commend my life
to Ruskin's difficult duty of delight,
and to that most beautiful form of courage,
to be happy.

~ Jeanne Lohmann ~

(The Light of Invisible Bodies)

3 comments:

Queen of Fun said...

Where is this photo taken? I want to hear the warm up talk that preceded it.
Oh, how I love the characters and the photog!

Sue said...

Cave Hill. I know. Probably not what most expect to see in a cemetary.....but it's just such a perfect backdrop. We even paid our respects to the Colonel and I pointed out your final resting place.
They surprised me and all showed up at church yesterday and then we went out for a little birthday celebration.
I had seen so many folks taking these jumping pics lately that I wanted to give it a try. Easy peasy. Do it with your kiddos. Just prepare to push, count to 3 then push and jump. May take a couple of tries!

donna said...

I was hoping you'd use this photo or one of the many good ones taken that day.

My favorite line from the poem....there are no shortcuts to spring. It took me a long time to learn that, but now I relax and enjoy winter. Spring will come when it's ready.

donna