Monday Morning Musings:
“We sit down
in the smell of the past
and rise in a light
that is already leaving.”
From Rita Dove, “November for Beginners”
“Wars, plagues, names upon tombs tell us only what happened. But history lies in the cracks between.”
― Sarah Blake, The Guest Book
The wind roars, a dragon
blowing in the season
overnight the temperature drops
and there’s a reason
I’m baking and cooking
easing in
this time of melancholy and light.
The leaves glow golden
in the slanted light of dimming days
and color pops, unrestrained,
blazing, in the rays
of setting sun.
Here come ghosts
and memories, the dead
William Penn looking down at the Day of the Dead display at Love Park, Philadelphia
remembered in joy and sorrow
decorations, graves, a thread
of history, the moments in-between
the things we love, the times we dread
the smell of the past,
comes back to haunt us–
my mother says, do you smell that
when nothing is in the air
and goes on to chat—
(I open window and door)
we discuss dogs, a cat
and this is where we’re at,
now, daughter and I make candles
smelling scents for future burning
but is it also, perhaps,
for a past we’re yearning
in scents of autumn and Christmas
as the season is turning
we talk and sip our wine.
Swirl, sniff, taste,
discuss ghosts and dreams,
the feelings of houses
our moods, of what seems
to be real or not—
(I watch how the light streams
then dims.)
Vintage Wine Bar, Philadelphia
The clocks turned back,
but we’re the ones that change,
not time. It moves on,
there’s no real exchange
hours lost or gained,
yet memories remain, sometimes disarranged
but triggered by this or that, perhaps a scent.
I dream of cooking beans,
the refrain, they need long simmering
add some water the dream people say
and in my mind some glimmering–
this is my life and words
with long slow cooking, simmering
and sometimes shimmering
through the cracks
the scents of cinnamon and spice, autumn
the leaves glow and fall
the ghosts often forgotten
wander, here and there
as the light dims
but returns—in time.
Merril’s Movie Club–we watched It on Halloween, as the wind began to howl. We saw Pain and Glory, Almodovar’s latest. Husband and I both liked it–(but liked Parasite more)–you probably know if you like this kind of thing, Banderas as Almodovar remembering his life, perhaps more pain than glory at times. Trailer here. We also started watching a French series on Netflix, Black Spot (definitely not translated from the French title Zone Blanche) about strange goings on in a French town. We like to keep our viewing international. 😉
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Beautiful musings, Merril. I love how scents can trigger so many memories. Your photos are gorgeous!
Thank you very much, Jill!
“The clocks turned back, / but we’re the ones that change,” That is so true. Time proceeds with or without us. We can’t control it no more than we can control Nature. Today’s musing makes me a bit homesick for north-central New York, the leaves changing, the smell of cider and fallen leaves; the chill of the evening air and the warmth of baking bread. Thanks for the memories 😉
Thank you very much, Marie–and you are quite welcome!
Always a treat. I just love how you share your week with us.
Definitely want to see “Pain and Glory” and I’m too chicken for things like “It” 😉
Thank you very much, Dale!
I know I would have jumped a few times if we had seen “It” in a theater. 🙂
🙂
I am sooo not a fan of horror…
I don’t like the gory stuff. I’m not a fan of slasher horror–even though I think the kind of horror where you don’t see much, is much scarier–and sometimes too scary for me. 🙂
Same! And I agree… The suspense that gets you all twisted up ..
Yes, it’s the imagining what’s there.
*Shivers*
🙂
Your mother is right to notice the smells. The wind brings them at this time of year, along with the voices of people we remember. Those golden leaves and golden baked crusts are cinnamon-gorgeous 🙂
Thank you about the baked goods! They turned out great. 🙂
The wind does bring smells and memories–unfortunately, my mom has gotten agitated a few times by smells that were not there.
They are there to her. I think we have smell memory as we have visual memory, like thinking we see someone and it turns out not to be them. Maybe sometimes a smell is like that.
Yes, I think that’s true.
Past, present, and future scents. I love the whole notion of that (and fits with the title of a chapbook I may or may not be working on, actually). Beautiful photos as always, Merril! That renaming of the French series is a little strange, n’est-ca pas?
Thanks so much for your comment, Luanne!
I’m working on a chapbook that has an idea related to something we discussed once. I guess somewhat related, too, since lots of what I write is about time and memory.
I read somewhere that the French title might have something to do with the area that doesn’t get cell phone coverage–what we’d call a dead zone? But I’m still not certain how that became Black Spot.
I’m thrilled to hear about your chapbook!
Haha re Black Spot. That name is not very catchy, really.
I’ve been drinking tea with cinnamon–I do think autumn, more than any other season, is evoked by smells.
You made me think of Paul Simon
Time hurries on…and the leaves that are green turn to brown
Thank you, Kerfe. (And Paul Simon!) There is that cinnamon smell with autumn. When we made the candles, daughter and I agreed that if we did it at another time of year, we’d pick different scents, but we were both drawn to the cinnamon and spice sort of scents.
Yes, perfect for autumn.
Your photographs are colourful and so well composed; your thoughts gently blending with your cooking; and your baking so appetising.
Thank you very much, Derrick. That is a lovely comment.
Your images and musings (and the images you create with words in your musings) are beautiful. I think I’m going to have to be brave and see “It.” During the daylight hours. (I’ve read the book and saw the original mini-series way back in the ancient days of the 1990’s.) Another friend recommended Pain and Glory, but I’d forgotten the name of it. I’ve added it to my queue so I won’t forget again. So glad to be part of your movie club. 🙂
Thank you so much, Robin. We saw the old mini-series of “It” way back when, too. 🙂