October 27
My research classes always begin
with a simple but-oh-so important question
when one stops to consider
an essential foundation for research and life
“What did you notice today?”
*
Before the last class on October 23
I was reminded of something
that has caught my attention recently
In the early morning or late afternoon
when the sun is just rising or setting
thin shimmering threads that are otherwise invisible
are suddenly revealed as strands of light
covering the lawn, connecting the tips of grass
bridges created by tiny spiders quivering in the breeze
that only they can safely travel
*
Last evening just before sundown
when the light was just right again
I noticed the shining threads were all missing
perhaps washed away by intervals of rain
during the past few days
I am hopeful the spiders will continue to weave
their shimmering threads because it’s their nature to spin
it’s not just the rain that erases their handiwork
I am sure they have had much to repair
after I have passed through their landscapes
unaware of the wonder of their silken threads
*
I am reminded of a poem, The Fool’s Prayer by Edward Rowland Sill (1936)
“These clumsy feet, still in the mire,
Go crushing blossoms without end;
The hard, well-meaning hands we thrust
Among the heart-strings of a friend…
Be merciful to me, a fool!”
*
Spinning creations of beauty and light
through one’s work seems a never-ending task
In the future I will try to remember to notice
the lives that I might unintentionally threaten
with “clumsy feet still in the mire”
Work Cited:
Sill. E. R. (1936). The fool’s prayers. In H.S. Schweikert, R. B. Inglis, & J. Gehlmann, Eds., Adventures in American literature. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 670-671.
Note:
My attempts to find information on the internet about tiny spiders that spin threads between blades of grass not webs were unsuccessful. I mostly found advertisements about how to get rid of spiders in lawns that I didn’t bother to read.
***
October 27
Rainy day work processing chard
Washing, chopping, blanching
getting it ready to freeze
watching the second hand
make it around three times
on the battery-powered wall clock
mounted above the stove
as I breathe in the warm, misty
chard-scented air
*
(Believing it would save time,
I once tried the timer on my iphone
but being inept with technology
the phone set off alarms
for the battery-backup surge protectors
used for computers and appliances
throughout my house
It’s not an experience I’m willing to repeat
But I digress …)
*
I had time to think during the interstices
as the chard blanched before bathing in cold water
I wondered if what I have done as a teacher
made any difference in the lives of students
reminding me how grateful I am for teachers
who made a difference in my life
all sharing valuable lessons
including those who provided clear examples
of what I hoped never to become
*
‘though teaching seems a never ending task
I feel blessed doing work that may open up possibilities
perhaps mostly in humble, invisible ways
But it’s time for reflections to end for now
The blanched chard is packed in freezer bags,
Freezing…
All too soon, the weather will be doing so, too…
*
*
Note:
For more information about chard: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284103
I’m pleased to say that I have been paying attention today – to trees, to insects, to colours. Glad to spend some still time reading your reflections Carol.
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It’s always a gift to hear from you, Andrea, and to read your lovely reflections. It’s clear you do take time to notice what’s around and within you and celebrate all you see with strikingly vivid eloquence. Sending my gratitude and best wishes. 💜
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Light and shadows… A great reminder to take notice of the intricate and often elusive beauty that surrounds us when we open our eyes. Thanks for you lovely reflections, Carol.
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful, lovely comments, Bette. I am deeply grateful for your kindness and support over my years of blogging. 💜
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Mmm. Beautiful thoughts.
But I can’t help but wonder: who the hell wants to get rid of spiders that live in lawns?! How weird!
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Thank you for your kindness and humor, Stacey. I was concerned when the only links I could find were from exterminators. I found the same thing when I searched for information about how to attract ants to some of the peonies in my garden (the flowers don’t bloom otherwise). All I could find was information about how to get rid of ants!
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Chard is one of my favourites. I never plant it, it just comes up, from a plant I let go to seed years ago. Boiled with a dab of butter is a wonderful meal. I think about the things I tread upon, to them I am a monster. It’s only justice I will be crushed asunder in due time. 🙂
I laughed at your alarms going off -that’s a powerful phone.
It was a gift to see your post. Take care. Bob
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it’s always wonderful to hear from you, Bob, and see your exquisite photos and read your reflections.
I used to have volunteer chard and romaine lettuce in a garden at my last house. Did you know they can grow 6 feet high? They can! It made me laugh because I had such unpleasant neighbors on one side who hated gardens. They thought gardens were too messy. And I admit they often were… There’s never enough time to get everything done because I’m always trying something new. The new owner of the house found me here several years after I moved to thank me for the gardens, though, and told me the unpleasant neighbors hated her, too.
But technology is not something I enjoy. I may never learn how to use my phone for anything other than phone calls, texting, or photos. But setting off the alarms was funny, although not something I plan to repeat.
Thank you for your delightful comments, dear friend. 💜
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Great post Carol on being mindful. I too have disturbed the spiders as I didn’t see the webs as I walked right into them while thinking about something else. I always apologize, but they pay no attention and go right back to building. I used to volunteer working with children in bereavement and wondered if I was making a difference in their lives, and then I realized, they had actually made a difference in mine.
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Thank you so much for such thoughtful, delightful comments, Michele. It is true that the people we may think we’re helping actually help us more in unexpected ways. 💜
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Beautiful post and poetry, Carol. A lovely reminder to pause, notice, and walk gently through the world. ❤
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Diana, it’s such a gift to hear from you! Thank you so much for kind words. 💜
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