Friday, November 4, 2011

Airly Autumn Days

"...There's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here--
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock--
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock."

--James Whitcom Riley

JWR is a real favorite of mine, and I can't imagine better words to describe the feeling of these days.  I've sort of been floating through the last few weeks, busy with activity but sort of paralyzed, too.  I'm not sure that makes any sense, so I'll try to explain. 

I have been so lucky lately, spending time with some of my favorite people.  Lots of visits, lots of plans, and these days, these airly autumn days with so much to do outside.  I want so much to freeze time, or at least stretch it.  Make the hours from 4-6 go on and on, holding the day's last light.  Make the weekends last 4 days.  Have time every day to walk around and breathe the leafy air. Rake the earth.  Dig in the dirt and plant spring surprises.  Sweep the deck and clear the gutters.  Chop more wood.  Read for hours by the fire in the quiet with the cats in my lap.   Talk to people and hear their stories and play music and sit outside by candlelight, wrapped in blankets. 

I've been doing many of these things, but I need more time.  And I'm sort of overwhelmed by the richness of all of it.  Totally in a good way, but it's made me a little flighty.  I've neglected the inside work a little, let the papers pile up a bit, been behind in the laundry, haven't been blogging, felt a little space-y at work, that sort of thing.  Writing this out helps me make sense of it though, and maybe I just need to let go of all the life-managing for a spell.  That would be prioritizing at its finest, and it brings me joy to do this important work of living the glorious fall to the most-est and loving the people and animals around me. 

So, I'll end with that for now and try to focus on getting my secondary work done so I can get out there and be in the day; it's gorgeous.

"...It sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!"

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for introducing me to some lovable poetry!

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  2. You're right about how those last daylight hours are all the more precious and poignant in the Fall.

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