O hushed October morning mild

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

View from my backyard...

Good morning, and hello, hello, hello!  Oh how good it feels to be at my computer, forehead crinkled in contemplation and glasses slipping down my scrunched up nose while I try to think of a clever opening to this post.  Clever opening...clever opening...

Nope.  It's not happening--I so hoped that during my time away I would somehow become a clever or witty or amazing writer and that words and sentences and paragraphs would fly from my muse-inspired brain.  I wanted to return to all of you with deeper and wiser and profound thoughts to share with you, but right now all I can think of is hello.  I guess my desire was to be more like Anne Shirley, but in the end I can only be me and trust that being me is good enough.

"I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. "I don't exactly want to make people KNOW more... though I know that IS the noblest ambition... but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me... to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born.” 

― L.M. Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams

I never dreamt when I took a "short break" from this blog that I would be gone for three months, but life has a funny way of interrupting with real time events that can't be postponed while I hunt for the just-right poem or the perfect photograph.  But I've remained a blog writer in my head, if not on paper (monitor?), as I was always thinking "oh I need to write about this" or "I need to take a picture of that" even if I wasn't writing it immediately.

"True friends are always together in spirit.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

I have been touched by how many of you have asked when Poetry and a Cup of Tea will return, and I am excited to be able to share with you all the comings and goings of the last few months.  So much has happened I hardly know where to begin so please bear with me as I catch up on the past while looking forward to the months ahead.

“All in all, it was a never-to-be-forgotten summer — one of those summers which come seldom into any life, but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going — one of those summers which, in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends and delightful doing, come as near to perfection as anything can come in this world.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams

I may have city views, but my street is spectacular in autumn!

I took a break in order to prepare for my daughter's wedding, as I discovered that working full time, running a home, maintaining a garden and helping craft diy wedding decor was quickly overwhelming me.  But I did find time to read and have some lovely new poems to share with you in the days ahead.  

“I couldn't live where there were no trees--something vital in me would starve.” 

― L.M. Montgomery, Anne's House Of Dreams

As I worked in the garden yesterday, a murder of crows flew by, cawing out to each other and reminded me of this poem, October, by Robert Frost.  I have always loved his lines "retard the sun with gentle mist; enchant the land with amethyst".  May all of us find a small bit of enchantment as we start our week.

O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes' sake, if they were all,

Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost---

For the grapes' sake along the wall.