A Place to Think and Observe

On one evening this week, Rett and I had dinner with the Porch Crew. Our dear friend, Mary Anne, asked me the following question, “What are you thinking?”  Perhaps she knew that that question would send me off to ponder it.  What a great gift that question was!

MA’s question ultimately led me to this one:

Merry Mount is a place to dig around and observe. 

While digging through my memory, I recollect the last song, Final Entry, from Dominick Argento’s song cycle, From the Diary of Virginia Wolff.  Wolff writes:

No: I intend no introspection. I mark Henry James’ sentence: observe perpetually. Observe the oncome of age. Observe greed. Observe my own despondency. By that means it becomes serviceable. Or so I hope. I insist on spending this time to the best advantage.

“Observe perpetually”.

Human beings are magnificent creatures.  Most of us have the ability to engage our senses and observe the environment that surrounds us.

We can view beautiful sunsets, we can smell the roses, we can hear the hermit thrush or the Meditation from Thais, we can feel the hen’s feathers, and we can taste tomato pie.  And if we so choose, we can recollect those experiences in our minds. I intend introspection.

“Observe perpetually”.

The day after MA posed the question, I drove my truck to Polly Acres, an idyllic cattle farm that borders on Deer Creek State Park.  A thunderstorm was approaching near sunset and I was able to watch the thunderheads against a backdrop of golden light.  We quickly loaded the hay and I returned to Merry Mount to feed the goats.  As I unloaded the hay, the aroma of the freshly baled hay overtook me, and a strong memory came to me of my experience as a young lad helping my Papaw and Dad stack hay in the Woliver barn.

“Observe perpetually”.

I entered the house and saw what Rett had written on the kitchen blackboard.

“Observe perpetually”.

I wonder as I look around
at all the beauty that I've found.
I've found it in the smallest places.
I've found it in the smiles on faces.
I've found it in majestic sights.
I've found it in an eagle's flights.
And as I've seen it with my eyes
I've slowly come to realize
that all the beauty that I see
belongs to you and belongs to me.

This beauty should be shared by all.
Each beating heart should never fall
Quiet, never to beat again
without the memory of where or when
it captured the sights it got to see.
For what is life?
What can it be?
If not for beauty that's all around
you have not seen, nor have you found
what it is we came here for.
You came to know beauty, nothing more. 

Poem by Edwina Reizer

I disagree with Reizer’s final line, for I posit that we are here to observe and then strive to create or recreate.  We are driven to write a poem, blog, or diary; plant a seed; conceive and maintain a rose garden; cook a pie; compose a piece of music; paint a canvas; sculpt a thinker; build a Lego tower; etc. etc.

I Hear Oceans

I hear oceans.

I hear blue oceans,

black oceans,

silver oceans that travel under me.

I hear gentle oceans,

and oceans that cover the ruins of temples.

I hear oceans that call “Come out!”

and oceans that don’t know my name.

I hear tall oceans,

sad oceans,

oceans of refugees,

and oceans of eagles.

I hear great rolling oceans,

and oceans that whisper to me in the night.

I hear oceans that sing in their cage

like birds.

I hear oceans.

                                                                                    Robert Bode

                                                                                    July, 2015

                                                                                    Marrowstone Island

In conclusion, I find Merry Mount to be a wonderful place to observe and to create or recreate, and, therefore, I offer you the following selected photos.

“Observe perpetually”.

CPW

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