L'aura del Campo

A day of sitting, writing and blogging

Winter: 2 'Ala (March 3)

2006-03-03
afternoon, 43 degrees here, in Aurora, CO and in Missoula, MT.

Cooler today, more early Spring-like than summery. The birds and flowers don't care. They are getting ready. Saw a raggedy sparrow in a branch today, chirping his head off. Not a bad place for a nest, actually. And yesterday stopped within a couple feet of a robin in a maple tree. Didn't budge. During mating and nesting season, we humanoids are not very important.

SENSED

Broken stones, concrete, car parts; white and yellow daffodils, a green lawn-frog; forsythia; lavendar, yellow and white crocuses; purple hyacinth; broken glass, clear and brown.

Richard Hagerman quoted TS Eliot today, something along the lines of 'the moment of the rose and the moment of the yew are the same'. There is something deep there to think about, I'm sure.

Reading "The Rose Rent" Cadfael mystery.

GETTING TO KNOW ME

... getting to know all about me ...

42. Apples or oranges? Banana.

43. Left or right or ambidextrous? Left-handed to an extreme.

44. Black or white socks? I prefer dark socks.

45. Boxers or briefs? Do I have to answer my own questions?

46. Cut glass, blown glass or milk glass? All glass. My maternal grandfather cut and designed glass. My paternal great-grandfather blew glass.

47. Toasted marshmallows anyone? Light tan, I don't like them burnt or ruint.

48. Favorite Surih of the Qur'an: Qadr

49. Favorite Writing of Bahá'u'lláh: Hidden Words

50. Favorite Psalm: 137.

51. Favorite book of the Hagiographa (OT): Ruth

52. Favorite cookie: snickerdoodles

53. Pulp or no pulp? I prefer my orange juice with less not more.

54. Got spice? Cardamom or nutmeg will do. I prefer nutmeg to cinnamon.

55. Basil or oregano? Call me Basil! Sweet green mixed with parmesan cheese and pork and stuffed in a sausage.

56. Mixed nuts? I'll grab all the cashews, filberts (hazelnuts) and brazilnuts if you ain't looking. You can have the walnuts and pecans and almonds. Not because I don't like them, but because I can't hoard every-little-thing! And I was told to share as a child .

2006-03-03
vespers, 46 degrees. 28 in Bellefontaine, Ohio.

Very pleasant day all day. Sat in the hawk's Nest with the sun streaming in. Sat in Aimee's this morning. A good day for sitting. Or driving. Or walking briskly. I sat. And wrote and actually accomplished a thing or two. Soon it will be time to go out for ice cream.

Written this morning:

Red Flowers of the Silver Maple

Cupped in red,
their tentacles reach out
this cold March day, a splash of color
on silver threads, embroidered on the blue
of sky.

Soft velcro hooks,
at heart soft green,
grow, unfurl thin veined wings,
to grasp the nothing-we-can-see,
to float.

In summer,
seeds that twirl, burrow
into earth, become two leaves
unfurled, look up to where next Spring
red maple flowers will shed their cups and
grow new wings. [162.782]

A response from 'Abdu'l-Bahá to an early Bahá'í who had written a poem:

O thou who art attracted by the Fragrances of God!

Verily, I read thy poem, which contained new significances and beautiful words. My heart was dilated by its eloquent sense. I prayed God to make thee utter more beautiful compositions that this. Thus thou mayest be the first to praise the Beauty of El-ABHA and the first utterer of His Name among the women.

Chant the verses of guidance among the people and commence [the composition of] melodies of great beauty and effect in praise and glorification of the Generous Lord.

We sent those poems to all countries, so that the friends of God may remember thee and pray for confirmation and aid in this great Cause in thy behalf.

O maid-servant of God! Warble as birds in the garden of joy and pray to thy forgiving Lord, so that the souls may rejoice through the psalms of the descendant of David.

~'Abd'ul-Bahá, in Tablets of Abdu'l Baha Abbas (1909)