Monday Morning Afternoon Musings:
Present in Beauty
“Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes.”
Walt Whitman, Song of Myself, 48
“In beauty I walk
With beauty before me I walk
With beauty behind me I walk
With beauty above me I walk
With beauty around me I walk
It has become beauty again”
–from “Walking in Beauty”: Closing Prayer from the Navajo Way Blessing Ceremony
After the storm
First, a billowy sea of clouds,
then thunder, crash crash crashing–
shock and awe from the heavens,
ending in a hush,
the cat yawns.
History moves on,
I sleep and my hair turns grey.
Now this place, a speck, a blink
in the eye of the universe, does it matter
to the stars or time? Yet
here I walk—beauty before me, and all around.
Heron, deer, and ospreys converge.
The sky is the blue of wishes, the sun an apricot
I can almost taste—like the most luscious wine
I drink-in the daybreak, my soul cool and composed,
I savor this moment, knowing it is evanescent,
a sparkling bubble, no less beautiful
as it passes into memory,
the past another universe, an umbrella
to open for protection, or to cast shade when needed.
Bird-dawn has given way to cricket sunrise,
summer light has slanted—autumn on its way,
I adjust my sight line.
A late musings today. It’s been a busy week, and I’m finishing some work. I used Jane’s Random Words. We celebrated what would have been my dad’s 103 birthday with Chinese food on Tuesday, and our friends insisted we have a toast to him. (Wonderful friends!) We had more hot and humid weather, then one night with some thunderstorms, and then perfect weather over the weekend. We met our daughter and son-in-law at a new winery on Saturday. Stokelan Winery is a beautiful place. The Stokelan House dates from about 1853. We sat outside. I liked all of the wines, but I didn’t love any of them. Since it’s a new place, they’re still working out some issues. It’s a distance for us to travel, so we probably won’t go back there for a while, but it was still a lovely afternoon.
Toast to Dad and Stokelan Winery
We watched the TV show Dark Winds. It’s based on the series of novels by Tony Hillerman, which take place on Navajo land. It seemed like a good series to watch this week because my dad enjoyed Hillerman’s books. Once my father wrote him a letter, and Mr. Hillerman replied. Although Tony Hillerman was not Native American, much of the cast, the writers, and crew are. A character recites the lines above in the final episode.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
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Merril, you know I’m not a poet, but I appreciate poetry and love literature. What popped into my mind, Lord Byron’s lines:
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Like the scenery, family collages, especially goofing around! 😀
Thank you, Marian. It’s nice you thought of Byron.
We are a goofy group!😄
Oh Merril, I love all of the family photos! So much joy! Of course your sunrise shots are absolutely stunning. Thanks for sharing! xo
Thank you, Jill! 💙
Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
Thank you, Michael!
Beautiful and breathtaking
you are such a gifted photographer!! The lighting is true poetry along with your verses!
That is so kind, Tricia. Thank you so much!
I really don’t know anything about photography, so I appreciate that. 💙
I think it just takes a great eye and a love of nature! ❣️
Thank you again, Tricia. ❤️
I love this post, Merril. So much beauty in it. ♥♥♥
Thank you so much, Robin! 💙
Love the Navajo beauty blessing Merril. Your beautiful photos are testament to beauty in the world. Happy birthday to your father – I bet he was smiling –
Thank you so much, Susan.
My sisters were saying he would have been pleased to know we were all remembering him.
That sunset is stunning! These lines in today’s musings are so well-crafted and insightful:
Bird-dawn has given way to cricket sunrise,
summer light has slanted—autumn on its way,
I adjust my sight line.
Thank you so much, Liz! 💙💙
You’re most welcome, Merril!
From the crash of the storm clouds to the peace of sunrise. A lovely frieze.
We had some of the same images (history), but I think your message is more consistently hopeful and uplifting. The photos are a perfect accompaniment.
Thank you very much–and thank you for the words! We did have some of the same images.
🙂
I sleep and my hair turns grey…love that line.
And wonderful clouds. (K)
Thank you so much, Kerfe.
The clouds were amazing!
Lovely photographs and poetry. I, too, like “I sleep and my hair turns grey” as a metaphor for the passing of time; “the cat yawns” demonstrates peace after the storm.
Thank you so much, Derrick. I’m pleased you like those lines. Thank you for letting me know!🙂
A wonderful musings. Those skies!! And hey, we can’t love ALL the wines we taste 😉 Liking is better than not.
So much to like in this one.
Thank you very much!
Yes, liking is better than not–just nothing that wowed like the setting. It’s a new winery though. It takes a while.
my fav. song 💖💖💖
Thank you, Cindy. I’m not sure what song you mean though.
I think that song often actually… now in beauty
I’m still confused, but that’s ok.😏
Oh shoot I will go back later. You mentioned walk in beauty I thought in this post. Now we’re both confused 😐
So sorry
I didn’t mention a song. 🤣
Uch…. Merril, my comment vanished. Well, I probably did something on the keyboard.
Let’s see…
Your musings today seem very clear….
Something about I’d like to muse, but everything serious just come out amusing.
You know you are a terrific photographer?
So, I’m 3/4the way through your wonderful book.
I keep going back and re-reading poems.
When done, I will take a break, then read it again, for my review.
Am I allowed to quote a poem in the review?
Thank you so much, Resa!
I would say if it’s a longer poem, then maybe not the entire poem, but some of them have been published . . .so just use your discretion. And thank you!
Thank you!
💙