Friday, July 24, 2009


An Enchanted Souvenir

In my part of the world, this was a day rarer than pigs in flight.
Here, the month of July is more likely to be found draping itself over our shoulders in gelatinous fashion, rendering those brave enough to venture outdoors regretful of that decision within mere moments in the gummy air. Normally, a July afternoon swills up all our vim and verve with the lazy, blank-faced greed of a pudgy uncle parked by the punch bowl at a wedding reception.
But Someone waved a wand over this July day.
One of several in a salubrious row, this day stretched out its hours like shady garden stepping stones, enticing us along with feather-fan breezes and morning air as cool as the center seed of a honeydew. It was a day when Edward wore a Prussian blue kerchief round his furry neck and was petted and hugged by strangers. A day with fruit for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A day for linen shirts and plum coloured lipstick - for checking out crisp new library books and for sitting cross-legged in green grass within a grove of pear trees, reading Longfellow aloud to Edward as he dozed beside me.
Like an enchanted souvenir of autumn, this jewel of a day was dropped into our clammy hands as we sat fever-addled by summer - we turned it over and over, feeling its coolness against our skin. We held it up to the light in admiration, marveled at our spectacular luck, and knew all the while that it could not last.
But that only made it more dear.

a bit of what Edward heard beneath the pear trees....

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;

Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

Was not spoken of the soul.

from A Psalm of Life, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

45 comments:

  1. Oh your blog always blesses me!! It is so imaginative and refreshing!!

    I have found a spot to read poetry in here in Lyon. Haven't made the time to do it yet- but I have JUST the place for it!!! (Unfortunately dogs are NOT allowed - so my Chauncey will have to stay inside!! Sad!)

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  2. Just beautiful Pamela! You make life worth reading about with your poetic prose! A hug to E & A ?

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  3. I hope edward enjoys the rhythms of Longfellow as much as i do.
    Here it is cold and rainy then sunny then a thunderclap and then more rain..we don't know where we are. However I hate clammy weather.

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  4. Absolutely agree with Make mine pink and Carol - your blog is always such a treat. I don't really know Longfellow, but I'll be sure to remedy that now. You paint such gorgeous pictures of the world around you. Sounds like a lovely way to spend the day, reading to a dozing dog under a tree.

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  5. Oh to have a nice, bright, warm, sunny day right now. It's humid and very warm. Everything seems damp. So happy you and Edward had this lovely day to share.

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  6. What a wonderful blessing for the day!
    Oh my a wonderful way for a day to transpire ( espescially in July)
    L

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  7. What a dreamy day you describe. Enjoy your fruit feast and books, Pamela. <3

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  8. Linen shirts and plum lipstick - crisp library books to read in the grass -- I can see it, smell it, taste it. A perfect day, a perfect post.
    xo Isa

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  9. Edward is one lucky boy! I'm so glad you had a beautiful summer day to share with us, it sounds like it was heavenly!

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  10. A perfect day to share with your perfect Edward! I love to read your posts before I sign off for the night. It is as close as to having someone read to me before I turn in. Have a golden weekend! xoxo

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  11. A lovely, summery day - and Longfellow to top it off. This is my favourite Longfellow poem.. it is pinned to the shelves beside Charles' chair and is a constant inspiration....

    Let us then be up and doing,
    with a heart for any fate;
    Still achieving, still pursuing,
    Learn to labor and to wait.

    Your posts are beautiful - products of a wonderful imagination.

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  12. I'm smiling:))))) such a wonderful picture

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  13. I want there to be more "enchanted souvenirs" like this. So beautiful.

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  14. " lazy, blank-faced greed of a pudgy uncle parked by the punch bowl" !!! - made me chuckle.

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  15. What a beautiful post, as always Pamela! Nothing like a welcome change when you least expect it. And you manage to put poetry into the everyday.

    It's such an Irish thing to talk about the weather continuously that I assume everyone else does it too! But this post illustrates for me exactly why we do. Our weather is so unpredictable it's predictable. We are always surprised when we get something we don't expect!

    Which is every day! Every season we get every season!
    :-)

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  16. What a lovely day. We've been having so much rain here that I had to dash out after a day of sunshine and gather what lavender I could manage to start to dry it.

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  17. Sinking my teeth into the glory of your summer's day was the best dinner I could have wished for, accompanied by the flowing golden wine of your words.

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  18. How lovely is your ability to write. I'm so happy I re-found your blog. Especially now, when I'm in need of soft gentleness.

    When I'm in need of rest, and serenity, in my blog reading. When I'm not blogging much myself, and not even having my own Comments turned on. When I'm sort of drifting...

    Summer seems an appropriate time to drift...

    Flow...

    Don't push the river, it knows where it is going...

    :-)

    Gentle hugs,
    Aunt Amelia

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  19. All your posts are divine
    and so are you.
    Blessings
    Love Jeanne♥

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  20. Hello P&E,

    Wonderful word pictures, as ever. Having lived in the Middle East, I know what clammy means!

    Lovely Longfellow!

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  21. Pamela, this post is precisely why I don't write much on my blog, your writing - incredible - and I am certain there is a better word for incredible, but I am too daft to know it.
    I come here because it is a world unto itself. Thank you.

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  22. This is beautiful, Pamela. I love the painting, and what you wrote about the weather, and the poetry. You combine so many lovely pieces in your posts that I feel energized and peaceful all at once.

    And your photo of you and Edward is lovely too. xo

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  23. Isn't it just lovely? (The weather and the writing!)

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  24. Hi Pamela
    I've alway felt Longfellow was ahead of his time...he is one of my favorites, as are you and Edward!

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  25. Absolutely true HWL!
    Like to think of your reading this aloud to Edward, bless his cotton socks as we say over here.
    Do you feel like joining us for Inspiration Wednesday next week? See my blog today for details.

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  26. lovely, lovely, lovliness....xx

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  27. May you have many perfect days with feather-fan breezes, reading (and smelling) crisp new books within a grove of pear trees.

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  28. how beautiful, this picture, this poem...wonderful

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  29. What a blessing to have you write for US - mere bloggers who love to read your words and view your images! Thanks for making my day brighter with your descriptive and lovely words :-)

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  30. What a lucky dog your Edward is to have spent such a beautiful day with you.

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  31. I can imagine you and Edward on this July day....perfection, xv.

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  32. I'm not very familiar with Longfellow's poetry (apart from Hiawatha of course!)but I like these lines so must look for more of his work. I'm glad you are enjoying perfect summer weather, I've experienced those hot,humid summer days in New England and din't enjoy them one bit. The picture at the beginning of this post is really lovely - you find such beautiful art work to use on your blog.

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  33. I forgot to ask whether you know the artist who painted this piece?

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  34. Blessings my dear...I needed this one..

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  35. You, my dear blog sister, can charm with words like no other. You revel in and feel each day...then give it back to us wrapped up with a beautiful silk bow.

    Thank you. Thank you Thank you.

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  36. Very beautiful blog you have here with lovely images and writing. I found you through Rima's blog at the Hermitage.
    You seem to enjoy the classical art works. If you have a moment do come and visit me. I love all things Victorian. From Fairies to Pre-Raphaelite art. I am a children's illustrator.
    Jo May.

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  37. WOW! I love coming to visit, I always leave so inspired!

    Happy Weekend!!!

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  38. A message for Edward:
    Possums can turn pretty nasty, Edward!
    so I'm not surprised your MUM and DAD didn't want you to play/fight with it.
    When my mum and dad lived on Long Island, there were possums that used to get in the garbage cans.
    I was not born then.
    Thank you for writing to me.
    From Buster

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  39. How lovely is the picture of you sitting reading Longfellow to Edward, in his blue neckerchief, under the pear trees! Thankyou again for the wonderful words:)

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  40. T'was another day in paradise...and I would've missed it had I not come here. Thanks for the reminder!

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  41. Beautiful.. just beautiful.That is July for sure.

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  42. Absolutely enchanting, thank you. You deserve the moniker of Wordsmith. Love, x

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  43. Ah....what a lovely thought. I think *we* are having all the hot,humid, gelatinous weather instead... Atypical for us!

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  44. oh adorable, sitting under a tree reading poetry to Edward....

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I love to read your comments! Each and every one! Though I'm always reading your comments, I may not respond in the comment section. If you want to write me directly, you may do so at pamela@pamelaterry.net. Thank you for reading!