The Love of October

“A child looking at ruins grows younger
but cold
and wants to wake to a new name
I have been younger in October
than in all the months of spring
walnut and may leaves the color
of shoulders at the end of summer
a month that has been to the mountain
and become light there
the long grass lies pointing uphill
even in death for a reason
that none of us knows
and the wren laughs in the early shade now
come again shining glance in your good time
naked air late morning
my love is for lightness
of touch foot feather
the day is yet one more yellow leaf
and without turning I kiss the light
by an old well on the last of the month
gathering wild rose hips
in the sun.”
– W. S. Merwin, The Love of OctoberI am back at my desk after almost two weeks away, weighed down with books, self-imposed writing assignments, images, memories, anxiety, excitement, lots of pictures of Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, and probably 10 pounds heavier from caramel apples, apple cider donuts, pumpkin pie, apple cider, lobster rolls, Maine crab, diner breakfasts, seafood platters, mom-made cookies and banana bread, east coast pizza, and more…I’ll upload more pics tomorrow when my brain catches up with my body.Today, based on a prompt from Fruitflesh pick a color and take a walk. Photograph everything you find of that color, notice the different shades of the color. When you come home upload the pictures and see if any words emerge from the images. As a writer we need to train our eyes to notice all of the details.Now get back to work!
Lovingly very much jet-lagged,Writing Nag