Thursday, October 22, 2020

half-past October

 I knew it would be warm today, but it wasn't. It was hot, and the air conditioners were put to bed last week. So I would do some cleaning, and then do some reading. Do more housework, and then watch a youtube video. Balance.

Just a couple of days ago I washed my lightweight summer robe, but it's on me now; I had to dig out a cotton nightgown I'd put away just two days ago. 

The oscillating fans were waiting to be cleaned and put in the basement - I'm glad I didn't get around to it. They are both in service at this moment. I know my two bedroom windows will be open tonight. And when I looked outside just fifteen minutes before dark, I saw beautiful goldens and oranges everywhere  outside the window. 

I saw this poem online today, at Tea with Mrs. Mourning Dove:

REEL

Maybe night is about to come
calling, but right now
the sun is still high in the sky.
It's half-past October, the woods
are on fire, blue skies stretch
all the way to heaven. Of course,
we know that winter is coming, its thin
winding sheets and its hard narrow bed.
But right now, the season's fermented
to fullness, so slip into something
light, like your skeleton; while these old
bones are still working, my darling,
lets dance.

-  by Barbara Crooker

6 comments:

  1. What a lovely poem! It is blowing a gale here tonight and the rain keeps throwing itself at the windows. The clocks go back tonight so tomorrow it will be nearly dark by 4.30 in the afternoon. Winter is on it's way so it was wonderful to read of your hot autumn weather and your appreciation of it despite the awkwardness of you having already dispensed with the air-conditioners etc.!

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    1. Wow, Clare. These gales you get - they come every autumn? I remember when I used to listen to the World Service, hearing about them. Our warm days are gone now and it's going to be in the fifties all week. You are north of us and have shorter daylight hours than we, and our clocks go back next weekend. It will be nice in the morning to have more light.

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    2. Yes we do get gales in the autumn and in recent years we have started getting them all year round. We had some really strong winds this summer that caused some damage (not to us, fortunately). The morning light has been good this week, and Monday morning was glorious but all too soon the days get even shorter and the mornings are dark again. We are all hoping and praying that by the time the clocks go forward again in the spring we might be nearer to seeing an end to this awful Covid-19. Take care, Lisa xx

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  2. I love her work. It puzzled me for a bit, what she meant by "reel," and then last evening, I was dancing a bit in my kitchen and realized oh, a dance, the Virigina reel. Thank you for posting the poem! It's wonderful when the poet's words resonate so literally in our lives.

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    1. I hadn't heard of her - I'll have to look her up, and thank you for the kind words. :)

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