Monday Morning Musings:
Small Joys
“Seek out each day as many as possible of the small joys, and thriftily save up the larger, more demanding pleasures for holidays and appropriate hours. It is the small joys first of all that are granted us for recreation, for daily relief and disburdenment, not the great ones.”
–Herman Hesse, quoted in The Marginalian
A mysterious sky forms,
whispers, “be untidy now,”
scatter leaves like hope,
watch them catch the wind
as eagles do, wings-outstretched
straight as the horizon,
to land softly, like feathers,
but to crackle and crunch with satisfaction
as you walk upon them,
sharing them with the earth.
Bird Skies
Now mark how the thunder passes,
and gold pours from the sky
gilding the trees
as the sky-blue jay
shares his opinions of the world,
you and the trees sigh.
See, how the wine is garnet in your glass,
a drinkable jewel, glimmering in the sun,
the afterlife of grapes, the culmination of sun, harvest,
air, and time. Some things can’t be hurried—
and so, we sit.
The afternoon may be a shaggy dog story,
or it might simply have a dog,
and isn’t that the point,
isn’t that enough
a beautiful autumn day,
loved ones, wines, a dog?
A bridge connecting seasons,
connecting future and past,
joy in this moment,
this moment, now,
whatever comes to pass.
I used some of Jane’s Random words from Oracle II for my musings today. We are in the peak of autumn splendor now. Cool nights and sunny days (mixed with cloudy rainy ones). We will not have many more days of sitting outside, but we took advantage of the weather on Saturday afternoon to meet our daughter, son-in-law, and their puppy at Amalthea Cellars. Great wine (we had a red blend of merlot and Cabernet Franc.) On Sunday morning, before the rain, we walked at Tall Pines State Preserve.
Amalthea Cellars
Tall Pines State Preserve
Thursday afternoon I had a delightful time doing a podcast and reading some of my poetry, which I will share once it’s up—probably sometime in November. On Friday, I participated in an online Black Bough poetry event for “Sun-Tipped Pillars of Our Hearts,” the Dai Fry Award for Mystical Poetry. Such a beautiful event! My poem was among the long-listed poems included in the volume.
Ricky was dismayed by the dog, and he wants equal time. He should know how much he’s loved.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Beautiful skies and reflections. Its the little things that add up to a life (k)
Thank you very much. It is!
Beautiful
Thank you, Beth!
Lovely!
Thank you, Gwen!
Your photos are simply stunning, Merril. Thank you for brightening my Monday!
Thank you so much, Jill! 😊
Lovely photos. Your fall is beginning to look like ours now, just brown leaves. The last photo with the bridge is like one I took yesterday. I’ll have to post it. The words gave you a personal message, family and dogs, and all that gold.
I’m sorry I missed almost all of the zoom on Friday. Husband doesn’t get home until 8pm, the time the session started, and we had to eat first. He’s shattered and hasn’t had a proper lunch so zooms have to come second.
Thank you. I want to see your bridge now.
This Oracle did give me a personal message. I ignored the political stuff this time. 🙂
It was great to see you even for a little bit. I was so excited when I saw you pop up on the screen! I like that for me, it started at 2 PM. 🙂
The internet connection is very weak here. I couldn’t see much at all. Couldn’t see me, for which I was grateful!
That was probably just how you had the screen set. 🙂 But it’s funny that as you were writing that, my Internet went out for a few minutes. Usually I don’t have any problems!
The kids have complained about the internet here. They say you can’t adjust the screen so it’s impossible to have a conversation with a group. Can’t tell who’s speaking and can’t reply to any one in particular.
I’d better stop complaining though or you’ll lose your connection altogether!
🤣🤣🤣
I absolutely love the poem! Too many treasures here to name them out one by one. I will take it as a gift, full of autumnal wonder and bliss. Beautiful photographs…it made me happy to look at them. 🙂
What a lovely comment! Thank you so much, Linda! 😊
I like to think of the scattering of fall leaves as “untidy,” a new image for me. These lines struck my fancy too: See, how the wine is garnet in your glass,
a drinkable jewel, glimmering in the sun,
the afterlife of grapes.”
Yesterday I wrote a haiku about the flight of mallard ducks. Maybe you inspired me.
Such a lovely comment. Thank you, Marian!
“Untidy” was one of the generated words. It’s funny the images the words brind.
I think we’re inspired by all the things we read (and see, and hear). 💙
Also–I struggle to write haiku. They are so hard!
You have impressive facility in all the other forms. These I find HARD. Haiku is the only verse form I feel comfortable with so far. (I’ve tried Tanka.)
I like that haiku are now often short long short, but the syllables plus the nature reference/ plus the turn is hard for me. 🙂
Small joys are to be savored and enjoyed. I had one of those days Saturday, and I’m so grateful for it.
They are. That’s wonderful that you had one of those Saturdays. Liz!
😀
I like the bridge image (in words and your photo!)
Thank you very much, Claudia!
Fine poetry and photography – as always. The dog must have eyes in the back of its head.
Thank you, Derrick.
That dog doesn’t like my daughter to be out of her sight. 🙂
Gorgeous images and words, Merril. How lucky to have caught that leaf as it was flying down to earth. 🙂
Thank you, Robin.
One of those lucky captures!
Such beautiful photos! And I swooned at these lines:
Now mark how the thunder passes,
and gold pours from the sky
gilding the trees
as the sky-blue jay
shares his opinions of the world,
you and the trees sigh.
Thank you so much, Marie.
I thrilled my words entranced you so. 💙
Autumn is so resplendent where you are.
So, your musings follow suit.
LMAO re: the dog in the sports top!!!
Cats hate anyone/thing who gets more attention than they do.
They make us love them!
Oh… Merril, I think my baby Johnny cat has dementia. We woke up this morning, and he doesn’t seem to know who we are. Of course the vet will come, but there are many questions I need to answer. I have a few days… Is he eating, is he going to the bathroom, is his tail up or down and some other things that the vet needs to know. It’s hard to tell about things like eating and bathroom, as there are 2 cats here.
I held him and kissed him and he purred.
Still he’s hissing at me and N & his mom, Jeep!
He’s 14.
I go now to look at him. Vet says give him a couple of days to hide/be alone. 💔
Oh, Resa! I hope your beloved cat is OK. 💙
I love my Ricky so much.
The dog is my daughter’s. She’s a pit bull rescue that they got as a puppy. Adorable, but there’s always something with her.🤣
Poor little Johnny!
He ate last night. I had to carry him to his food, but once he got there, he knew what it was. Boy was he hungry.
He came to the bed this morning… a good sign.
💙
Aww, a rescue! It’s hard for me to think of pitties as girls. They look like boys. Marina has a pittie, a girl, Hera!
Well, the something makes you laugh, so that’s something! 🤣
I hope Johnny is still eating and feeling better!💙
That’s so funny that Marina has Hera. This one, my daughter’s is Helena!
He’s coming around. At least he ate, and I got to love him and pet him and hug him.
He’s hiding right now.
Vet said let him hide, for a couple days. Day 3 he started coming around.
That’s good news! ❤️❤️