Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Theme Thursday: Cold


We went out last night to fly our kite at sunset, but flew nothing because of the tangles we helpless children left in it last time, then crumpled it up and left it at the bottom of a bin, hoping beyond hope knots would just kinda come to some agreement with each other and work things out for themselves before we came to take it out to play again.

No such luck.

Naomi shot this photo of me and the kite's adventure, with eager Isaac cheering me on, far more confident in my ability to reason with string than was warranted. 

I love this picture, shoes running amock, blanket tangled, dog standing guard, and most of all Isaac's pretty, pretty little knees. 

The wind was blowing, as evidenced by attempts with the kite, and although you can't tell, other than by my sweater and Isaac in his sister's coat, it was cold. The kind of cold that is soft and welcome on your cheek and in your hair, makes you feel forlorn and full of longing for Things Undefined, a sandy, gritty mood.

Brooding somewhat hopeless in front of Isaac's need for flight and my inability to unknot tangle after tangle, a never ending maze of meaningless snags, arguing also with the wind that WOULD have its own way with the string, the kite itself begging to be let go to play, I thought of this poem:

The Cold Heaven

BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS
Suddenly I saw the cold and rook-delighting heaven
That seemed as though ice burned and was but the more ice,   
And thereupon imagination and heart were driven   
So wild that every casual thought of that and this
Vanished, and left but memories, that should be out of season   
With the hot blood of youth, of love crossed long ago;   
And I took all the blame out of all sense and reason,   
Until I cried and trembled and rocked to and fro,   
Riddled with light. Ah! when the ghost begins to quicken,   
Confusion of the death-bed over, is it sent   
Out naked on the roads, as the books say, and stricken   
By the injustice of the skies for punishment?


So forgive me! I get a little Moody sometimes! 

Go see Clan Donaldson Mary Kate for more beautiful and far far less introspective photography. It's Theme Thursday: Cold!

18 comments:

  1. Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink...

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  2. Love it...
    The pic and the poem...
    And I love that your love of poetry.: )

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  3. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Everything about this. The photo, your commentary (a sandy gritty mood). You are so talented and so beautiful.

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  4. Perfect poetry selection - you really should consider writing a memoir, it may seem to you (because it is you) that the question of why me, why would anyone want to read about me. Let me assure you, you have a gift with words, and your personality rings through your writing causing others to feel warm and invited in. You have a gift, you should write! Sometimes it is in the small details that people are touched - write!

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    Replies
    1. Gosh, that is just too kind! Thank you for saying so.

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    2. I agree. You need to write a memoir. Now.
      And that picture is gorgeous. My brain literally could not make sense of it at first, and I thought you were just blithely sitting in the middle of a snow-covered beach, serenely inspecting some object of your daughter's (in my confusion, Issac was a girl).
      Gabriel is standing on our sit-and-spin right now, twirling around, and the noise is so abrasive I actually cannot think, as evidenced by this comment.

      Fin.

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  5. Isaac does have pretty, pretty little knees. And, that is a beautiful picture...and a beautiful post. I agree, you should write a memoir..you have a real gift for words.

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  6. That is a PERFECT cold beach shot. And the sand is so white it almost could be snow. Except you're version of "snow" I hear is preferred 10:1. Yates is definitely brooding, and appropriate,

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  7. "makes you feel forlorn and full of longing for Things Undefined, a sandy, gritty mood" ...u in the Tao as we say

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  8. Great picture ~ go Naomi!
    Love your commentary and choice of poetry!!

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  9. You guys totally look like you are sitting on a snowbank..somewhere in the arctic!

    Kite string or fishing string...all tangled up...every parents nightmare. cut and buy new!ha

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  10. Very cool picture! I like your moody posts.

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  11. Lovely!! It doesn't look cold at all, but once I read the story, I can feel the cold in the photo. Love it!

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  12. Beautiful! I agree with everyone. Your words are so inviting and warm! They bring us to where you are, which is what made this post extra beautiful!

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