Monday Morning Afternoon Musings:
Between the misty amethyst
and the brilliant blue—there’s a pause
in the morning’s soft pink music, a rest
Delaware River at Red Bank Battlefield, National Park, NJ, shortly after sunrise. July 2020 ©️ Merril D. Smith 2020
before the restart of staccato cardinal chirps,
the flute of robin trills,
and the crescendo of crow caws
burst through the feathered clouds,
with the bright blue of belonging—
here and now
Delaware River, West Deptford, NJ. ©️Merril D. Smith, 2020
I walk
along the day’s determined path,
yet debating
both path and determined,
the ifs, whens, and whys
of going further, beyond
I found an almost hidden path.
to find something else
hidden
like words within
waiting to be spoken.
“Eat chocolate,” my sisters say,
and share the thought of our mother’s laugh
echoing from the past,
flowing like a river through time,
all the versions of me and you,
the world
in both the radiance of the sun
and the silvery shimmer of the moon,
pale blue and green,
and when I wish upon the ghost glow
of a thousand stars
I feel the dust of dreams
within and without,
as feathers fly from the sky
to land at my feet in trails of white light
silent, at rest,
here, now
bits of something larger, still soaring.
A late edition of my Monday musings. I think Jane and I challenged each other to use the Love set of tiles from the Magnetic Poetry Oracle. The Oracle and I once again collaborated, with more inspiration from my morning walks.
I’ve been baking with summer fruit, but I do indeed have a chocolate stash.
Merril’s Movie Club: We watched Radioactive (Amazon Prime, 2020), a new movie about Marie Curie. I wanted this to be wonderful, but it wasn’t. It was OK, but she was such a brilliant woman, and this, sadly, is not a movie that shines. We also watched Straight Up(Netflix), a sort of rom com where a young man who may be gay, but isn’t sure, finds his soul mate is a woman. It was enjoyable, but not great.
So we went back to darker stuff: we started watching Bordertown, a Finnish series on Netflix. So far, it’s very good. I like “Scandi-noir,” and shows that explore family life as well as the crimes.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
I knew I liked your husband, Merril! I love M&M’s! Thank you for sharing your lovely musings and beautiful photos from our walk. My Monday is now complete. xo
Awww, thanks, Jill. I’m glad I made your day complete!
Only dark chocolate M&Ms will do for me. 😀
My favorite, too! They are like vitamins! 🙂
😀
Oh Merril, everything you write is so incredibly beautiful, this is so lovely, it fills all the senses!
Awww–Rene, thank you so much! You made my day!
It’s all true, every time I read you I am awed!
Thank you!
“and when I wish upon the ghost glow
of a thousand stars
I feel the dust of dreams“
Wow! This took my breath away, Merril. Just beautiful. I’m an m&m aficionado, too! I’ve enjoyed your baking posts on ig:)
Thank you so much, Cheryl! I so appreciate your comment.
These are the lines that resonated most with me as well!
I love that wooden path. There was a persistent cardinal on my walk this morning. I could never catch sight of him, but he was loud. I should vary my walks…I could go down below in the park sometimes…but somehow the familiar path is comforting. And the robins would miss me! (K)
I had no idea that path was there–it leads down to the river. It’s obviously used by partying kids because there’s graffiti on the actual dock, but it was a cool find today!
I doubt hey will be out early in the morning.
No, I don’t think they would be. 😏 As I was walking back though, I saw a man, and that made me a bit anxious and aware that I was in a deserted area. . . but he went down a dirt path in the woods that I hadn’t noticed, and I walked back into the open area.
That’s what keeps me on the upper path in the early morning when I’m out too.
Yeah–I like to walk when others aren’t around, but I’m mostly walking down neighborhood streets.
These posts are always wonderful, Merril, but today’s is a whole ‘nother level. Just beautiful.
Thank you so much, Dale! ❤️
💞
Very beautiful, Merril. I’m sorry about the movies, though. They do sound disappointing. I haven’t been watching much lately, although I am following the new Perry Mason series. Sort of silly, but it gives a nod to the 30s noir style that is fun.
Thank you, Luanne!
I’d watch that Perry Mason series if I had HBO because I like the actors in it. 😀
I think it’s so fun. The gardener keeps falling asleep but then catching up later.
Hahaha. It sounds fun. Matthew Rhys was on Fresh Air talking about it.
I enjoyed your musings along the river accompanied by bird song. And then there was cake!
Thank you very much, Liz. Yes, I’ve been doing lots of walking by the river, and also baking lots of cake. But not getting much work done. 😏
Sometimes our field just needs to lie fallow for a time.
Yes, true.
🙂
All lovely, soothing … especially like the image of two bird feathers
Thank you very much!
Often I think of your musings as a gentle tide, back and forth. The tone of this one is steadier. It moves along more like a river than a tide and the Oracle inspired some lovely phrases (of course) 🙂
Thank you. Interesting thought about the tide and flow. I thought when I saw the words from my first choice of the Love set I couldn’t waste them! 😀
No, I’m glad you didn’t. They inspired a lovely poem 🙂
Thank you! 😀
‘misty amethyst’ immediately heralds some lovely descriptive poetry. excellent photographs, too.
Thank you very much, Derrick!
A hidden path is always a wonderful find. This is so beautiful in so many ways, even in the tinges of what feels like grief. M&M’s! I think they are part of what is keeping me sane lately. 🙂
Thank you, Robin. It was a wonderful find,
and that M&M dispenser is wonderful and deadly. 😏
A few of my favorite things: the chocolate stash and M&Ms.
I love your blast of colors here and the hidden path, of course.
Thanks, Marian! 😀
I love this, the images are beautiful. I like the feathers before the birds
Thank you very much, Jude!
My pleasure 🌼
Stunningly gorgeous, and deep as the blue when it’s not blue, anymore! Thank you,, Merril!
Thank you so very much!