HERE COMES the FALL...

NIGHT by Robinson Jeffers ( 1887-1962) (excerpts)

The ebb slips from the rock, the sunken Tide-rocks lift streaming shoulders 

out of the slack, the slow west sombering its torch.

Over the dark mountain, over the dark pinewood, 

Down the long dark valley along the shrunken river

Returns the splendor without rays, the shining of shadow,

Peace-bringer, the matrix of all shining and quieter of shining

 where the shore widens on the bay she opens dark wings and the ocean accepts her glory.

Far off from here the slender flocks of the mountain forest

Move among stems like towers

Of the old redwoods to the stream, no twig crackling

Into the mountain water among the dark ferns.....

The tide, moving the night's vastness with lonely voices,

Turns, the deep dark-shining Pacific leans on the land

To the outmost margins: you Night will resume the stars in your time.

Truly the spouting fountains of light, Antares, Arcturus, tire of their flow,

They sing one song but they think silence.

And Life, the flicker of men and moths and the wolf on the hill

Have men's minds changed, or the rock hidden in the deep waters of the soul

Broken the surface?

A few centuries gone by, was none dared not to people

the darkness beyond the stars with harps....

But now , dear, is the truth...

Life is grown sweeter........

Photography 2025 "Night" by Robinson Jeffers  is in the public domain. It is a very long narrative in the epic style of Greek theatre...

THE WORLD

"Let  shadows fall. Let me walk  with your sun  streaming from my eyes..." 

        THE WORLD Accordingly

I  heard today that the world was new. I heard the bells peal across the mountains. I saw egg yolk lavender crocus explode at my feet.

Dawn broke  over skies so wonderful I just had to go. The world  could not be more beautiful than it was on that dawn so fresh and new.

When frosty night rain caressed each new leaf like dragon's breath.

I breathed in deep. Saw the sky turn lavender in the early hours so precious and kind.

And it was new. So new. I could not wait to run  to the mountains in my dreams. Fill my heart.

Could not wait to greet the old man on the corner. I saw him every day. Dressed in red and green. With his little dog, also dressed in red and green. He looked like Santa Claus. I think he was.

                                   
I told him my deepest wish. He just smiled. He said my heart knew already. Then he was gone, into the golden morning.

 I was left with my reflection.

The birds were left with theirs.

Just the robins  sang their robin rain sounds. Mournful. Wistful.

As if for God's ears only.

And the sky broke into a thousand shards of crystal, each one more beautiful than the last.

The world was new. The trees  ready to burst forth in  their own way.

I walked into the rising light. Bathed in liquid gingerale.....

There was  a voice on my heart. It came to me  that day. When the world was fresh and new.....so new .....

"Walk with me. Hold onto me. I will hold  your heart, for you  are my wonderful Child.." 

Photographs 2024  

 

DWAYNE......

"Spring will come when winter least expects it. It's herald will be rocking this world.." - R. Raphe

There he was. We all grabbed cameras, cell phones,  and binoculars. He had suddenly appeared. In the snow. In the bird bath. "Hello, Dwayne , " I whispered. Dwayne was back.  The bird bath  spilled over.  He stared  at me. I stared back. Our eyes locked.

He was looking very fit. His fixed us with his shiny eyes.  Click click went the camera. A hush developed. We had wondered if Dwayne would return. And here he was. 

Dwayne sat in his bird bath for over an hour.  He wouldn't let any smaller birds share with him. 

He was in peak physical condition.  We thought he could do with some worms. He liked the worms last time. There was still a lot of snow on the ground. Dwayne looked hungry. 

We took a trip to the local Fish store.Where we'd bought a snail and a beta.  They  had worms and stuff. Dried meal worms  for sale. Last year we must have bought over a thousand . Squiggle squiggle.

This year we picked up dried ones , plus live meal worms. Dwayne looked like he needed some extra calories. He was the early bird this year. He spent his days hopping between the birdbath and the dirt piles.  He was bigger than the other birds. He was an impressive sight.

We soaked his dried meal worms ( actually larva of Tenebrio molitor beetle.....fancy sort of name), and got them kind of mushy.  Then scattered them all over what grass patches were showing through the snow.

The blue jays  helped Dwayne eat them. Dwayne was still looking for more.  He hopped at the blue jays, who squawked in regret. An easy meal for them.

Dwayne retreated to his birdbath. He stared at me. More , please.

We decided the live meal worms were next. We had them in the fridge, next to the lemonade.  In a yogurt container, with, oatmeal and bran so they would not starve. Even meal worms have to eat. Before they get eaten themselves. Squiggle squiggle.

We plopped them into a raised dish in the centre of the birdbath. And stirred. So they would look particularly yummy.

I hoped he'd eat them before they froze.  Dwayne poked at them. The meal worms curled  in their dish. Dwayne fixed his beady eyes on me.

He didn't like the dish. So I scattered the 100 or so meal worms, on the same patch of green grass. Dwayne liked that better. He could pick them off one by one. 

He gobbled them up like they were cotton candy. The Jays helped a bit, till Dwayne shooed them off. 

He stuffed himself full. Then sat in his bird bath. I think he wanted more. That meant another run to the Fish  store. Dwayne puffed himself out. He sat in the empty meal worm dish, while the Jays hovered overhead. He flexed his feathers and sat down on his throne.......

Dwayne, the herald of spring, was in the house.....................

Photographs  2024