Leaf Of Faith

Leaf Of Faith 

By John R. Greenwood

Life has this funny way of making you believe it cares. It lulls you into a sense of security by handing you things on a silver platter and then when your mind is at ease and your feet are up on the coffee table Life hides the remote. All of a sudden you have to get off your cushion and do something.  That scenario has repeated itself on me for years. Life has teased me, tortured me, and treated me on and off so many times you begin to sense a pattern. Like the seasons, Life brings sunshine and sunburns, Frosty and frostbite, spring fever and hay fever. It's ability to run you ragged is what makes Life so complicated. As I headed out for a Sunday morning wrestle with my 100 year-old maple's deposit I found myself searching for something to restart my engine. Since photographs are a large part of this blog, and finding ways to keep my Baby Sony fulfilled are crucial to the survival of us both, I finally grew up and bought a new tripod. I felt it might give me more street-cred if I had one behind the seat of my pickup. I thought it would be fun to try and find a creative way to use it on this cool October morning so I unfolded it, grabbed a rake, set the timer, and began clicking away at the grasp Life had on me. The title, "Leaf Of Faith" came to me as the photo session progressed. My maple imitates Life. He has some age on him; some wear and tear. Weak limbs, sagging branches, and a scarred exterior are witness to his longevity and survival skills. He has good days and bad days. Generally he stands tall and proud but on those days when the snow is packed high around his trunk and his guardian is blowing it even higher he takes a deep breath and begins to count. He knows spring will arrive soon and fresh buds will supply a fresh outlook. Songbirds will flitter amongst his newness and Life will flourish once again. It's that Leaf Of Faith we must all embrace if we truly expect happiness to remain in our lives. Regardless of how deep the snow may get, looking forward to what follows is the key. If we stop caring, if we stop wondering, if we stop yearning for that next season we are doomed. On this particular Sunday morning in October I felt Life was reaching out to me. A pile of watercolored leaves was not a chore today, it was a pleasure. For the moment anyway, Life dumped a gift in my driveway, smiled and drove away. As Life idled up the road I saw the window roll down and out flew the remote. Life in all it's wisdom knows how to keep you guessing--how to keep you moving forward. 

Things can fall apart, or threaten to, for many reasons, and then there's got to be a leap of faith. Ultimately, when you're at the edge, you have to go forward or backward; if you go forward, you have to jump together.

Yo-Yo Ma 

Sturbridge Pit Stop

Sturbridge Pit Stop
By John R. Greenwood

For the last two years on our way home from Cape Cod we left early enough to stop for a few hours at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge Mass. Sturbridge Village is a definite must see if you have an interest in America's early years. It is a stunning place that provides a relaxing and educational opportunity for people of all ages. It's close enough for a wonderful day trip and would make a great weekend getaway. I thought I would post a few of the photos I took along with some prose they inspired. There's still time to get out there to check it out. Here is a link to their website: Sturbridge Village.

Americana
living free among the post and rail
separated only by time
there is something dear
about staking a claim on the past
never ending work
fueled a man's need 
for a place
to call home

Simple Life
uncluttered existence
mahogany hard
pine stained
emitting extravagance
of a eighteenth century nature
bold and daring
sitting quietly
unaware
of the days
centuries ahead

Window Dressing
linen arms spread wide
in October's morning light
an empty dress lay waiting
an autumn day beckons
"Come share the joy with me" 

Stark Beauty
high above the picket
I peer out across our nations past
it's journey tender to the touch
no longer can we take her for granted
our children's eyes
deserve it's beauty
from this vista
ever more

A Leaf Fell

A Leaf Fell
By John R. Greenwood

A leaf fell today. I watched it float to the ground. I stopped and waited for one more. Another leaf, another tree, one more drifting, sailing victim drops gently in the distance. 
Where did the summer go?


I waited patiently through January, February, and March. Spring arrived and immediately began to show off with her lush lawns and boisterous azaleas. Flower smells and mower sounds filled the air. Neighborhoods were filled with renewed energy and picnic dreams. Memorial Day paraded by, followed by the cheers of the 2013 graduating class. July 4th shot through the night sky with a bang. Charcoal grills were a hot item and children swam in glee. August brought day trips and breakfast at the track. Labor Day bullied its way to the front of the line. 

Then a leaf fell and when it did others followed. They piled on top of one another like children wrestling in the playground grass. They seemed to be shouting out their last blast of the season by bursting into flames of red, calm yellows, and stubborn greens. 

Oh, the joy of one leaf, one season, one more day. 


 My submission to this weeks: Poetry Pantry #170. 

Downside Upward

Downside Upward

By John R. Greenwood 

Love this crazy life

even 

when it's all

mixed 

down

If everything came out perfect at the end of Thursday,

why would you take a chance on starting Friday?

Look forward to

 tomorrow

You never know what might 

n

r

u

t 

up

side

nwod

Dusk Lawn

Dusk Lawn 
By John R. Greenwood

There's something special about mowing the lawn late in the day in October. The smell and feel of the air has the heft of a bag of wet leaves. It sticks to your lungs in a good way. I love being the last man standing out there in the yard in that after 5 o'clock lawn race. It's that fall adrenaline rush of trying to get everything cleaned up in time for that first blanket of snow. Fall is my favorite season by far. Yes the colors are one good reason but the clincher is the air. The snap that it has revives my spirit. It brings me back to backyard football games and burning leaf piles. The first day you dig out your favorite fall fleece, sweatshirt, or corduroy shirt always produces an extra spark to your pace. I'm not talking about the first day you head out the backdoor to find a sheet of frost on your windshield. By that time the fall high has tailed off a bit. I like those semi-cool evenings when the leaves rest softly on top of the fresh high grass just waiting to be crushed into leaf-crumbles and ground down into the soil.

The tracks of the mower wheels are more pronounced, more deliberate in the damp fall lawn. Your hard work stands out more as if to say, "Look at me!" I am trim and fit and ready for Halloween. The lights of autumn help a great deal. Whether they come from a passing car on it's way to the mall or from the timed garage lights that seem anxious for you to go inside. The mixture of smell, touch, and light create a palette for the senses that linger year after year. I hate to see the summer end. So many more things I would have liked to have done. Oh well, there's always next year? 

So here I am after falling 57 times and each one has something new to offer. This one is being documented in photos and words. Thank you Mother Nature for your hard work and expertise. You put together another fine display this year. I appreciate you letting me be a part of it one more time. I look forward to many more. If you could possibly send us another winter like you gave us last year it would be great. Why the old Toro snowblower didn't even muss his hair last year.

It's getting late now.
I think I smell hot coffee...