...11.01.09...

all freezes again-

among the pines, winds,

whispering a prayer.

~riel, eigtheenth-century japanese poet

november silently sneaks up on us,

catching our senses by surprise.

suddenly,

as the english poet thomas hood sullenly observed two centuries ago,

there's "no shade,

no shine,

no butterflies,

no bees,

no fruits,

no flowers,

no leaves,

no birds."

outside, silvery gray shafts reveal a familiar landscape stripped of pretense.

behind closed doors,

glowing amber fires shed light upon the real.

like a woman who has found

her authenticity,

november's beauty radiates from within.

~simple abundance: a daybook of comfort and joy

my saved pictures go from

bright sunshine and vivid color

as i pass through

them and come to today.

beauty remains...but the color is muted.

earthly souls ebb and flow in sorrow and joy according

to the seasons of emotion, just as the seasons of the

natural world move through the cycle

of life, death, and rebirth.

these are the days to be grateful for the harvest of the heart,

however humble it might be,

and to prepare for the coming of the year's closure.

even now,

the season of daylight diminishes and the time of

darkness increases.

but true light is never extinguished to the natural world,

and it is the same in your soul.

embrace the ebb

and do not fear the darkness.

for as night follows day,

the light will return and you will know
contented hours once again.

~simple abundance-sarah ban breathnach

just BE.

robin.

welcome to coffee hour.

welcome to this Sunday morning.