...the first glance to see how many pages there are, the second to see how it ends, the breathless first reading, the slow lingering over each phrase and each word, the taking possession, the absorbing of them one by one, and finally the choosing of the one that will be carried in one's thoughts all day... -- Edith Wharton

October 1, 2012

October



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.

Robert Frost, 'October'

A bright morning, a painting (and an artist) new to me, a favorite poem, and a reminder {to myself} of how to spend this month.

{The painting is Pear Tree in the Front Yard, by Danish painter Anna Ancher (1859-1935), found here.}

2 comments:

JoAnn said...

I love that poem, too. It's a fitting beginning for my favorite month - thank you!

Lilac In May said...

Great pick, I love Robert Frost.