Saturday, December 7, 2013

Food for Thought


Bound by the cold, Buddy and I are spending our days cuddling, reading and writing poetry (he's a very good listener), and eating soup from the slow cooker. Today I make bread. Then, more poetry. Forgive my foolish ways. Nothing else is speaking to me now. My new favorite:


"Beyond the Red River"

The birds have flown their summer skies to the south,
And the flower-money is drying in the banks of bent grass
Which the bumble bee has abandoned. We wait for a winter lion,
Body of ice-crystals and sombrero of dead leaves.

A month ago, from the salt engines of the sea,
A machinery of early storms rolled toward the holiday houses
Where summer still dozed in the pool-side chairs, sipping
An aging whiskey of distances and departures.

Now the long freight of autumn goes smoking out of the land.
My possibles are all packed up, but still I do not leave.
I am happy enough here, where Dakota drifts wild in the universe,
Where the prairie is starting to shake in the surf of the winter dark.

~ Thomas McGrath




30 comments:

  1. Awesome header photo. That's all I got.

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  2. Sounds so relaxing and cozy to be cuddling with buddy, writing poetry and having a bit of soup . :)

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  3. Wow, that middle stanza really gets me today. Maybe because I look out my window and see the summer furniture wearing several inches of very bright and very dense snow. I hope the sun is shining for you today. It makes me happy even though the temp will not rise out of single digits.

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    1. Sun shining, bitter cold ... more to come. Getting acclimated... :)

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  4. this time of year is perfect for a warn fire, hearty soups, homemade breads, poetry and cuddling with our furry friends - I can just picture you and buddy sitting there enjoying the hours of winter reflection.

    the horses are beautiful. I once saw a painting in Santa Fe of a white horse in white snow and I still remember how wonderful it was.

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    1. It's been a really nice day. Very cozy. Good to see you, Linda.

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  5. I always love to visit you, and your poignant poem strikes me, too. Stay warm and safe, Teresa. :-)

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  6. It is the time to do exactly those things. Warm is good with a loyal companion!

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  7. I love the line, "My possibles are all packed up, but still I do not go." There's enough of an echo there of Bronte to make me happy. Remember her poem, The Night?.

    "The giant trees are bending
    Their bare boughs weighed with snow,
    And the storm is fast descending
    And yet I cannot go..."

    My new dream is to see the prairies in spring, and then in snow. Spring's easy. Winter will take more planning!

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    1. I thank you for the Bronte. I had forgotten it. Very nice, and so full with meaning ...

      Your prairie exploration sounds wonderful. I recall my own time in the Nebraska grasslands near Ogallala. Simple endless beauty.

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  8. I love spending an afternoon making soup on days like this! It's such a satisfying occupation.

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  9. Each time I read this (I've been around a few times already), I hear a different line. The closing one does it for me right now as I close out a very cold and snowy day here:

    "Where the prairie is starting to shake in the surf of the winter dark."

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    1. That's the beauty of a great poem ... thanks, Penny.

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  10. This is wonderful! "Now the long freight of autumn goes smoking out of the land.
    My possibles are all packed up, but still I do not leave.
    I am happy enough here...


    So grateful that you shared this.

    May your winter days be snug, cozy and warm, flavored with good soup, bread and poems. :)

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    1. Yes, I just love those lines. Thank you so much, Bill. Such a nice morning thought.

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  11. I call that "dang good poetry." Lots of great thoughts in a few sentences. My mother grew up in rural South Dakota on a farm. As the oldest her job was to help make and bake the bread. Twelve huge loafs were baked every other day. A large farm family (12 including her uncle who was the hired hand) ate a lot of bread.

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    1. Indeed it is. Bread making is a bit of work, but it's how life was and how the womenfolk filled their days. I like the simplicity of those clearly defined days. It's always good to see you here ...

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  12. Wonderful words by Thomas McGrath. So very warm and visual. Hoping you and Buddy stay warm and comfy! It's snowing here, mid 20's, and did so yesterday as well. Methinks winter has shown her hand (and perhaps it is all aces!). Always looking forward to your next post!

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    1. It's Very cold, and no end in sight. You'd love it ... :)

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    2. Never above 8 degrees today. Snowy, expecting another foot tonight. Winter arrived early. I just never know what to expect with the weather any more. Heck, it might be 70 degrees in January but I doubt it. Love the winter. Spent hours and hours in the woods today. Very restorative.

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    3. I am learning to like it more and more ... When it snows, I get happy ... :)

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  13. "I am happy enough, where Dakota drifts wild in the universe" I love this line. I am happy enough as well where my rather tiny island drifts wild in the universe.

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    1. I love that line, also. Thanks so much for commenting.

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  14. Lovely poem. I know that feeling of hunkering down for the cold cold winters the Midwest.

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    1. It's been a particularly cold one thus far ... I imagine a bit warmer in your neck of the woods ... thank you again ... :)

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