Awesome View
It was an awesome, beautiful view of the trees that are right in front of the mountain behind our house. The clouds were really dark, and threatening rain. Then there was the mountain right in front of the clouds, and then right in front of the mountain were the trees, and the sun was shining on them, giving them an almost eerie yellow-orange hue. I thought it was really unique and pretty and decided I had better grab my camera and try to capture it. It's a good thing I did because almost immediately after I snapped the pictures, the sun went back behind the clouds, never to reveal such a sight as this again any time soon.
I've been thinking about poetry lately. At the college where I work, they publish a very short booklet of poems and stories that have been written by students, faculty, and staff at the college. I noticed in the last two booklets that one of my coworkers has had 4 different poems published. The last time the booklet came out I talked with him about his poetry. He's a very quiet, gentle person of few words spoken, but he apparently has alot to say through his poetry. He said that he writes poetry often and has a notebook of them. I told him that he should think about getting them published into a book.
I think I'm kind of like him, in that I would much rather write than talk. I know that I'm an introvert. One year at the college, they gave everyone the Briggs-Meyers test to see what our personalities are. I already knew before they told me that I was introverted. I remember very well one of the questions was something like, "Which would you rather do, go to a party and meet new people, or stay at home and read a good book?" My answer to that was obvious: I would much rather stay at home and read a good book than go to a party or gathering where I know no one and meet new people. It's not that I'm opposed to meeting new people, but I'm just not the type of person to go up to people I don't know and say, "Hi, my name is ......" People have called me "backward" and "shy" all of my life. I have even been perceived as snobbish by people I have just met and who don't know me very well. It's not that. It's just that I don't seem to have much to say to someone I don't know well. I guess it's a miracle I have as many friends as I do, which are not that many, really. Probably just more people like myself who don't really enjoy mingling with big crowds of people and trying to act like we are having a good time, when all we really want to do is go home and curl up with a good book, or some needlework, or watch a good movie.
The college doesn't seem to have very many submissions for the book of stories and poems. I'm sure they would like to have more. I have always wanted to try my hand at some type of creative writing, although writing a book or short story seems to be more than I can create. I have never really thought about writing poetry, but I would like to try my hand at it. In fact, I thought of one just yesterday. I decided to title it, "In Full Bloom."
"In Full Bloom"
There it is again -
The delicious, phantom smell
that has haunted me.
It has appeared only as a wisp
of a scent, then disappearing.
I have found the scent!
My face is buried in a
hedge of jasmine.
I cannot get enough.
I want to absorb it.
It's really short, but describes what I think is a wonderful, fragrant scent of something that, up to that point, has not been identified by someone who maybe walks out their door and smells it every day, but doesn't know where it's coming from. Finally, one day they find it and they just can't stop smelling it. They can't believe their good fortune. At least, I hope that's what the poem describes. I have a few more in the back of my mind that haven't been written yet. I love to try to find the words to describe beautiful scenes or smells or landscapes, or events that I have attended that left a distinct impression on me. Maybe I'll try to write one about the picture I took yesterday of the trees on the mountain.
I bought a journal the other day. I decided that I should keep one handy so that I can write down thoughts as I think of them or observations, etc. My problem is that if I don't write something down as soon as I see it or think of it, it's forgotten. I do my best reflective thinking in the morning hours after I have just awakened. Later in the day, after my mind is tired, I don't seem to be able to do this as much.
I remember really liking poetry when I was in high school. I even had a notebook that held poems that I really loved and had typed out and put into it. I don't know what happened to it, except it seems like I came across it about a year or so ago when I was doing some cleaning. Now I don't remember what I did with it. I have a book that I have owned for a really long time, maybe since high school, titled "The Best Loved Poems of the American People." One of my favorite poems is "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost. I just now realized that that particular poem is not in my book, so I did a Google search and found it. I just have to repeat it here for you to enjoy. I just love the smooth, easy flow of the words. It's probably my favorite poem of all time.
"Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
