that I have known before.
Three things embraced in every day
that life revolves around.
Comfort comes with softness, with
warmth and a belly filled.
Curiosity asks forever why? ~
sparks to brighten every day.
Contentment wraps my heart around
to keeps random fears at bay.
Three things embraced in
every day my life revolves around.
Three things I’ve learned today
that I have known before.
“May you live every day of your life.”
~ Jonathan Swift
soften the ice blue sky ~
fat geese fly into the far and away.
A barren tree points skyward.
“I like this day; I like that sky of steel; I like the sternness
and stillness of the world under this frost.”
~ Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
nestled along a fence
beneath heavy heads of
fading giant sunflowers.
“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.”
~ Oscar Wilde
If You’re Not There
“Stop the car for a moment, Giles. Oh, Dez, isn’t it so beautiful!” Emelina was beaming. “I’m so glad you’ll be staying with us while you recover.” Like it or not, the car accident had brought a blessing in disguise to the sisters. Dez was not as injured as her poor Old Faithful. She was black, blue and stiff. It would take some time and patience to get moving again, but her old car was toast. She was glad that they were stopping. The view was beautiful, but it wasn’t the view she was interested in. Giles, the Estate chauffeur, had taken them on a scenic route along the ocean. It was much longer than the short ride to the Estate. Thankfully, Giles had pulled into an overlook just as Dez was squirming trying to find a comfortable place. The more time Dez was in the car, the more cramped she was becoming. “Can I help you, Dez? There’s some benches over there.” Emelina pointed to benches set back from the cliff edge. “No, Em, I’m fine. I’ll just take my time. You go ahead and get your pictures. I know you want to.” Her sister was out of the car, her cell phone out and taking pictures, always with an eye on Dez. Giles called out to her “Miss Em I’ll help your sister out. You just be careful that you don’t get too close to the edge.”
“Here, Miss Dez, let me help.” Giles had come around the car and opened her door. Dez grimaced as she turned to get her feet on the ground. She gripped both his extended arms and pulled herself forward. “Damn, Giles. I hurt all over. It was ok when I was just getting out of bed and walking across the room. But this!” Giles could’t help but laugh. “Take it easy, Miss Dez. There’s no rush. Just take a deep breath before you try again. Do you want the crutches? I’ll get them from the trunk while you stretch out your legs. Don’t try to stand up on your own.”
“I won’t, Giles. I’d just fall over and you’d have to pick me up.” Dez laughed stiffly. Slowly she stretched her legs out in front of her. She took a deep breath of the cool moist ocean air and all the stuffy hospital air whooshed out of her.
After an hour, Giles helped Dez hobble back to the car. “Em, let’s go. I really need to lie down and we’ve still got several kilometres to go.” Emelina had taken her photos and joined her sister on the bench. They were quiet, just looking out over the water. “I’m so glad you are alive, Dez. I don’t know what I would have done if…………..” Emelina’s words were stuck in her throat, tears filled her eyes. “Em, I’m ok. It’s taken us a long time to get here. Just about losing my life brought so much home to me. Having you come every day has been incredible. We don’t have mom and dad but we do have each other. It will stay that way.” Their hands entwined, she squeezed her sister’s hand tightly.
~~~~~
“How long will I be hobbling around, Giles? You’re going to have to come out here every day all day to be my right arm. Do you think Melanie will mind?” Dez laughed carefully, her ribs still sore. The three had arrived at the Estate after the long drive from the ocean overlook. For Dez, it felt longer than it really was. Giles parked the car parallel to the back steps. “Just let me help you out, Miss Dez. Will you be able to manage the steps all right?” Opening the car door for her, he watched painfully, as she slowly maneuvered herself out of the car. “Just get my crutches, Giles and stand by. The physio taught me how to take stairs. The few steps up to the porch should be all right.” Dez was a tall woman, not exactly a light weight and quite agile when she was well. It was difficult to see her halting and slow.
The two women, looking almost like sisters themselves, made a last look around the kitchen. Everything was ready. Plates, cups and sandwiches, kettle on to boil, fresh coffee made. “Martha, she might not want anything to eat. She might want just to go to bed. It’s been a long day for her.”
Martha nodded her head, her brow wrinkled in a frown. Going to the back door, she said “Well then, we'll just put everything away and pop her into bed, won't we?” She opened the back door. “Come on, Elizabeth.” Cook joined her friend to look outside. “Martha, come. It's Giles. And he has the sisters! Is everything ready?”
“You can't think how I depend on you and
when you're not there the colour goes out of my life.”
~ Virginia Woolf
“Yeah, my name’s Zach and I’m just sittin’ here watchin’ folks go by. It’s a little cool, but I’m stuffed and all fleeced up so I’m good. I don’t know where my buds went, but they’ll be back. I’m sure not going anywhere. There’s the joggers all in their spandex joggin’ on by. One or two cyclists. And the noisy geese and the ducks. As long as they keep away. I don’t need one of 'em pullin’ my leg, rippin’ me up. That could get real ugly, real fast. And I’m here all by myself! Don’t know where my buds went, but they’ll be back. I’ll just keep sittin’ here watchin’ folks go by…….Hey! You! Get my good side. That’s better. You had your shadow makin’ me look not so bright! Get on with you now……If you see my buds along the path, tell’em I’m gettin’ bored!.”
“I’m just sittin here trying not to be unhappy.”
~ Lars Ulrich, musician
hanging on, not ready
to let go and fly free.
“Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.”
~ Elizabeth Lawrence
Young Willow Tree shyly crept into the sun. When she was the tiniest of shoots, Bentlee Boulder and Ronaldo Rock were so gigantic, she wanted to stop growing. Deep from her roots and whispered on the wind, she heard her Ancestors. “Young Willow, keep growing.” She trusted her elders who leaned and waved along the rocky shore. Every day she felt her Ancestors in every leaf. Bentlee and Ronaldo, strong and silent, warmed her in the sun, sheltered her from the wind. Before long, Bentlee Boulder and Ronaldo Rock became her best friends. Young Willow Tree was content.
“Roots are not in a landscape or a country,
or a people, they are inside you.”
~ Isabel Allende
