A Poem For The Rain

Heavy Summer Rain
Jane Kenyon

The grasses in the field have toppled,
and in places it seems that a large, now
absent, animal must have passed the night.
The hay will right itself if the day

turns dry. I miss you steadily, painfully.
None of your blustering entrances
or exits, doors swinging wildly
on their hinges, or your huge unconscious
sighs when you read something sad,
like Henry Adam's letters from Japan,
where he traveled after Clover died.

Everything blooming bows down in the rain:
white irises, red peonies; and the poppies
with their black and secret centers
lie shattered on the lawn.

It is torrentially raining up here at the lake and has been pouring since the wee hours of the morning. That steady soaking kind of rain filling up the lake and forming smaller, muddy ones on the other side of the house. I love the sound of the drops hitting the roof and am snug in front of a small fire with the dog dozing nearby. A lazy start to our week off from work. 

This poem is so many things. The parallel to the rain is obvious but the language the poet selected to describe the extent of the weather points subtly (or not so subtly) to the narrator's own pain in loss. The shattered poppies bring it all together showing the devastation of the day's rain and the devastating pain of grief.

The Portland Seadogs

What a fun treat last week! As part of Simon's extended birthday celebration, we drove up to Maine for a mid-week adventure that started with deliciousness at Empire, a Chinese restaurant in downtown Portland. Simon has his ear to the ground when it comes to food and he has heard lots of positive tidbits about this place. We shared the garlic green beans (no idea how something that simple could be that good), yummy pan fried pork bao, lobster dumplings (haha shared!), and kung pao chicken. Great flavors and quite reminiscent of the end-all-be-all Chinese food mecca of Hunan Delight in Brooklyn.

Then we wandered over to Hadlock Field for a stunning sunset. Oh and some people were playing baseball. The matchup featured the Portland Seadogs and the Binghamton Mets in a quaint ballpark with a great hometown crowd. Pretty sure the Seadogs lost (baseball doesn't necessarily keep my attention) but I was happy because our picture made it onto the jumbotron AND I got to meet the mascot, Slugger the Seadog. This concept of the seadog kept me occupied for 7 of the 9 innings and we finally determined that a seadog, at least in this case, is a mythical beast like a dog with fins. Win win on meeting the mascot and having it be some type of dog!

The Batcident

I awoke today at 2:30am to Simon shrieking, crawling out the bedroom door and yelling "COVER YOUR HEAD!" It was terrifying. In retrospect, this image is absolutely hysterical...every time I think about it, I giggle like a maniac.

Back to that moment between sleep and groggy awakeness. As I slowly came to, my mind caught up to the fact that there was a dark shape swooping overhead, dive bombing the bed. I cowered under the covers as Simon took action.

Eventually the BAT (the bat! a bat!) was persuaded from the bedroom and promptly disappeared. Oh, trust me, we hunted. We turned on every light, batted at the drapes, scanned any potential hang-able surface, poked a broomstick in every dark corner, and scoured all the nooks and crannies. No sightings or signs of Bat Boy. We sealed ourselves in the bedroom, slept for a few hours, then resumed the mission at a more respectable hour.

Still haven't found him. A guy from the building's management office stopped over to help, and suggested we release "the dog" so he could hunt it down. I explained that he clearly wasn't familiar with "the dog" who had been lounging around all day unaware that a mouse-with-wings had infiltrated his territory. Anyway the bat expert produced nothing and left secretly happy that he wasn't the one to remove the thing.

Now we wait. We wait for the sun to set and for the darkness of his nocturnal paradise to lure him out of his cozy hiding place. I have a plan. Nothing could possibly go wrong when I have a plan. 

Scenes From The Weekend - Adventure Sunday

I had to head down to work for a bit on Saturday so we didn't make the weekly trek to the lake this weekend. It has been a long time since we've been in Portsmouth on a weekend so we dubbed Sunday "date day" (cringe) and decided to make the most of the Seacoast.

We've been wanting to explore Mount Agamenticus, a former ski mountain about 25 minutes north of us in Maine. Simon hadn't been but had heard that the peek featured views of New Hampshire's White Mountains, the Atlantic Ocean, and little towns scattered throughout this coastal part of Maine. Sounded good to me and Merwin just goes wherever we take him.

We opted for the Ring Trail, a 2.2 mile loop around the mountain that included a few smaller jaunts that could take you to the summit. Really excellent trail with some rocks and climbing but not such a steep ascent that the ridiculously out of shape individuals among us (just me) had trouble. And the views from the top were as promised - stunning! We even came across some remnants of the ski lift in the woods.

We dropped the tuckered out dog at home and grabbed some delicious wings before hitting the links! Captain's Cove Adventure Golf in Hampton was a blast. Simon took an early lead and I was pretty sure I was done for, just as I generally am in every game I play with him. But I took the lead after the front 9. It may have had something to do with Simon putting his ball off the green, hahaha. But I ended the game with a hole in one and reigned victorious. This does not happen often, so we reveled in my victory at Lago's Ice Cream in Rye - yum!

Boring, but necessary grocery shopping followed, before we settled in for Mad Max Fury Road at the Portsmouth theater. I love anything post-apocalyptic and with a super strong female character leading the way, it did not disappoint. Actually, we both absolutely loved it. It was a great ending to a really great day. Simon would argue that watching the Cardinals take on the Dodgers was the actual great ending to the great day, but I'm still transitioning from hockey heartbreak to baseball. Anyhow super fun Sunday to kick off the week!

Scenes From The Weekend

We headed up to Round Pond Friday morning and both put in a solid day's worth of day job work before kicking back for Memorial Day Weekend (best remote office ever). Saturday and Sunday consisted of more projects including our first indoor paint job - a couple coats on the bathroom walls and ceiling. The paint's dinginess had been bothering Simon since we moved in two years ago so this task was long overdue. Even though we "changed" the color from white to white, the freshness made a big difference. Naturally, I took no photos.

A college friend ventured over from her family's place on Great East Lake (a large lake just a short walk away from our own) for dinner Sunday night followed by a Rangers loss to put them on the brink of playoff elimination (definitely the low point of an otherwise exceptional weekend). I took no photos of this either although I doubt anyone wants to see me pouting in my Rangers gear.

Monday brought more friends and relaxation. Despite the cloudiness, we finally put the boats on the water for a few quick paddles and some close encounters with the loons. They are enormous. Merwin-sized. Really incredible to see them up close. Delicious dinner, gaming, general laziness, ice cream and another canoe to finish off the night. Of course, I captured zero photos of these adventures. 

Instead I took yet another snapshot of the lake before we ventured south this morning. I have hundreds of these pictures and really, the lake doesn't exactly change much but I just couldn't resist trying to capture its early morning stillness and tranquility. Such a great spot.

How To Make "Birthday Signs"

If I remember correctly, "the birthday signs" originated for my mom's birthday many years ago. I would make 10-20 mini birthday posters and slap them on the walls for some cheery wishes spread throughout the house. Actually, I think she still has a few hanging in her closet from decades ago. Aww!

Now they are a bit more complicated. For starters, there are fewer and they each attempt to capture an interest or hobby of the recipient while incorporating a birthday wish. Planning and designing these things is seriously one of my favorite activities. I get to ponder the birthday boy or girl, thinking about their interests, their passions and their favorite things then figure out how to translate those onto a piece of paper. It's the closest I come to being creative and it really is a blast.

I only mention this because I really think anyone could do it! It's a fun way to honor a birthday and also a fun way to get in a little therapeutic crafting. Here's how it goes down. 

I start by making a list of things that the person likes, memories we have together, etc. For my mom, it would be tennis, bowling, flowers, her Grand-dog, and pancakes. For my friend Melissa, it was bunnies, her Siberian husky, bumblebees and owls while Simon was all about fantasy baseball, the Cardinals, the lake, Merwin and his stupid sunglasses. You get the picture.

I use regular old copy paper, construction paper, a good set of markers, and some glue. Sketch out the designs (don't hesitate to use the web to lend a hand...I'm not ashamed to trace some print outs or sometimes even incorporate the actual clip art onto the poster). Add some color and voila - birthday cheer! Might not be the most professional looking things, but I say it's the thoughtfulness that counts.

A Poem For A Tuesday

The Veil of May
W.S. Merwin

No more than a week and the leaves
have all come out on the ash trees
now they are more than half open
on the ancient walnuts standing
alone in the field reaching up
through the mute amazement of age
they have uncurled on the oaks from
hands small as the eyelids of birds
and the morning light shines through them
and waits while the hawthorn gleams white
against the green in the shadow
in a moment the river has
disappeared down in the valley
the curve of sky gliding slowly
from before not seeming to move
it will not be seen again now
a while from this place on the ridge
but over it the summer will
flow and not seem to be moving

Every change of every season for the vast majority of my adult years has taken me by surprise. You would think by now I would get how this works, but the suddenness of the shifts is always shocking. It seems like one minute my little bubble is encased in white coldness then in an instant, it's bursting at the seams with green. Winter to spring is always the most drastic and from Boston to Portsmouth then a bit farther north to the lake, it has been interesting to see the variations in when and how spring emerged. But now, everywhere and everything is ripe, green and full. I'm savoring it!

Future Gardener?

I doubt it, but last weekend we tackled our very first "gardening" project. Basically, my dad sent us some flowers he had lovingly grown from seeds and we re-potted them. I also stuck a few zinnias seeds in some soil and crossed my fingers. Hey, you have to start somewhere. I really had a fun time so maybe eventually, and against all odds, me and plants might actually begin to get along. 

We did the planting, moved everything back out onto the deck, and got the outdoors all prepped for summer. Despite the frigid water, we even took an spur of the moment dip in the lake. Heading up later today and hoping the flowers are still thriving!

Walkers, Runners, Changemakers

 

Whew, the last few days I've been inspired by the power of people and what they are capable of, both individually and collectively. We headed down to Rhode Island Friday evening for Providence's Walk MS, an annual tradition for our buddies and one we started participating in last year. The walk was on Sunday, the most perfect sunny, bright, and blue-skied day for a four-mile stroll through Federal Hill (I may be totally wrong about that because, as normal, I actually have no idea where we were). For the most part, I tend to be skeptical of people's ability to actually care, but boy, was this experience a direct challenge to that notion. So many people who were so clearly passionate about the cause and willing to spend their day trying to contribute to change. Something about the size of the group and the power of these people coming together really made me feel happy and hopeful.

And then yesterday I watched 30,000 human beings challenge themselves to run 26.2 miles in the Boston Marathon, a thing that in itself is entrenched in emotion and passion. A friend who ran her very first steps just over a year ago ran the entire race in support of charity. Millions of dollars were raised by similar runners participating to achieve a feat most of us never do, but also to make Boston a better place not just for themselves, but for everyone. I'm amazed at all of them. And as usual, I felt a millisecond desire to take up running. Then myself chuckled at myself and I settled back onto the couch. 

A Poem For A Friday

I Would Live In Your Love
Sara Teasdale

I would live in your love as the sea-grasses live in the sea,
Borne up by each wave as it passes, drawn down by each wave that recedes;
I would empty my soul of the dreams that have gathered in me;
I would beat with your heart as it beats, I would follow your soul as it leads.

It is National Poetry Month so my poetry list-serves have really ramped up for April. This one popped through as part of an examination of metrical poetry; you can hear the rhythm within the lines, especially if you read it aloud. It seems to be more and more rare in contemporary poetry nowadays (Sara Teasdale wrote in the very early twentieth century) but I like it, especially when the rhythm supports the images...waves, heartbeats, love. I never thought of it this way but the excerpt that accompanied the poem mentioned how today, fewer and fewer poems use this "anapestic rhythm," but instead we hear it in places like rap. I knew there was a reason I like rap!