by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Peonies
This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready
to break my heart
as the sun rises,
as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers
and they open–
pools of lace,
white and pink–
and all day the black ants climb over them,
boring their deep and mysterious holes
into the curls,
craving the sweet sap,
taking it away
to their dark, underground cities–
and all day
under the shifty wind,
as in a dance to the great wedding,
the flowers bend their bright bodies,
and tip their fragrance to the air,
and rise,
their red stems holding
all that dampness and recklessness
gladly and lightly,
and there it is again–
beauty the brave, the exemplary,
blazing open.
Do you love this world?
Do you cherish your humble and silky life?
Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?
Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,
and softly,
and exclaiming of their dearness,
fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,
with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,
their eagerness
to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
nothing, forever?
-“Peonies” from Mary Oliver, New and Selected Poems (Beacon Press).
What’s your favorite line or stanza?
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
One grandmother was a founding member of her local Garden Club. The other, grew plants on her back porch and came from a family who once sold drop-dead gorgeous dahlias from their car trunk in downtown Spartanburg way back when.
Thankfully, I was able to dig up some plants from both homes before they were sold. From one, amaryllis and a hydrangea. From the other, an old-timey spice bush, daffodils, and cuttings from a rose bush that originated in my great-grandmother’s yard.
You wouldn’t know it by the way my yard looks right now (I’ll spare you the excuses) but I love my garden and the heirloom plants that have made their home here. When our roof was replaced earlier this year, I protected my grandparent’s plants like a mama bear. This fall, I plan to venture back outdoors to clean up, weed, and clip. After all, specific areas of the yard were planted with our future grandchildren in mind and a jungle was not on that list.
This weekend, I look forward to perusing the online catalog of Old House Gardens. I’ve always been delighted with both their product and customer service. It’s one of the few companies that still offer heirloom and hard to find plants.
Am I alone or was there a plant in your loved ones yard that you now enjoy in your own?
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
Isaiah 40:8
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Summer officially begins June 21 but I’m kicking it off next Monday, June 17, as Rhyme and Reason celebrates a new “season” of its own.
I love to blog! (I hope that goes without saying.)
You—your time—remain at the forefront of my mind when composing each post, which is why I aim for a takeaway but choose to keep most posts brief. Beginning June 17, Rhyme and Reason will launch NEW ideas while holding to the same pattern.
Ideas like giving each day (M-W-F) a summer-related theme to build upon:
Mondays: H₂0, Quenching Your Spiritual Thirst – Stop by and quench your spiritual thirst with a spot of inspiration in the form of a devotion, a photograph, scripture, etc. What better way to begin our week?
Wednesdays: A Poetic Pause – An opportunity to peek in, catch your breath, and be revived. Poetry awaits.
Fridays: Fireflies and Moon Pies™…Celebrating Summer Delights – Guest posts, recommended summer reads, yummy recipes, fun links, giveaways, and who knows what else?
Of course, if the Spirit leads otherwise on a particular day, we’ll follow.
Thank you for your time, your support, your encouragement, and especially your friendship.
Beautiful words stir my heart.
I will recite a lovely poem about the king,
for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet.
Psalm 45:1 NLT
To God be the glory…today and always.
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Just the name Blackberry Cottage stirs excitement in the heart! It’s here we’ll be staying when we head up to the beautimous NC mountains for a weekend getaway in a couple of weeks.
Lord willing, we’ll pop into our favorite antique stores, the local health-nut bakery, and the oh-so amazing pizzeria—but most of all, I’m looking forward to rocking on the porch, breathing in elevated air, and seeing where my pen will lead.
A lot of people will be heading to the beach this summer. I know at least one friend who’s heading to Alaska, and my parents will soon be cruising to Spain, France, Italy and Greece. Long vacations are always nice (can’t wait for our annual family beach trip!) — but mini-getaways certainly have their place in our hectic world.
So…if you had the opportunity to choose a destination within 100 miles of your home, where would you go?
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
