My choice this week is a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, a favourite in our house for many reasons (he has great imagery, for one). I chose this poem primarily because of the image of the smoke from the bonfires, spiraling up and wending its way across the valley in the autumn air.
My house sits on the top of a hill, overlooking just such a valley, and these past few weeks, what with the cold, wet mornings, I've see a lot of little smoke towers rising up in the damp morning air and dispersing across the lake. I know it's probably not very ecological, but it sure is lovely to look at.
Autumn Fires
In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!
Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.
Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!
Poetry Friday is being hosted this week over at big a little a, despite what seems to be a whirlwind schedule!
3 comments:
We used to sing the last stanza to the "Sing a Song of Sixpence" tune. Living on the West Coast of the U.S. NOBODY burned anything -- not unless we wanted another forest fire. But here in the UK, brushfires are started deliberately and left smoldering on the wet ground in this icy rain season. It's such a contrast, and this poem brings it to life.
Nice choice of poetry.
And check your e-mail, because I need your snail mail address, please.
Enjoy your beautiful view,
Sharron
Hi Tadmack,
When we were kids we had a big metal barrel in the back yard where we'd burn all our autumn leaves (once my coat caught on fire. Now I heap them on the garden.
Autumn here is so wet, somewhat like the UK, I think, and even though you don't see outdoor fires anymore, there are still lots of chimneys.
Very atmospheric.
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