Decked in Vivid Finery

Dressed in vivid finery

celebrating lives well lived-                                            

Ethereal beauty bestowed on earth.

                                                                                       

Youth has faded away.

Embracing their final days

dressed in vivid finery.

Days ticking by Spring, Summer and Fall.

Opening buds of luscious green become ruby reds

 to celebrate lives well lived.

 A grove basking in sunlight

swaying to the rhythm of the wind.

Ethereal beauty bestowed on earth.

The past weekend was a dream here in the Finger Lakes Region- 70 degrees, blue sky, and sunshine at the end of October. This alone would have brought much joy but add on to this the STUNNING colors of the trees. Looking around, ruby reds, golds, and tangerines were aglow in the sunshine. It was remarkably beautiful.

It struck me that leaves really know how to embrace their final days. They have lived their life cycle and end it by celebrating with beauty. Their last days are their glory. They dance to the music of the wind fluttering on branches until the final release. Then they do a graceful dance to their final resting place. 

Maybe nature has something to teach us again- Embrace and celebrate our aging. Live our final days in glory to cast beauty on those surrounding us. 

Beauty, Gratitude, Peace

Cumulus clouds drift

Patches of blue dot the sky

Aged Red pines tower

Sunlight streams through coarse needles

Peace, beauty and awe abound 

My mouth literally gaped open.

I looked like the emoji 😮.

I was laying on my yoga mat gazing up at the sky. As I realized the trees formed a heart, I was astounded. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

I remained motionless for minutes. Just watching the clouds, the blue and the sunshine dance across the window of sky. It was a living canvas with changing colors, brightness and mood.

The beauty brought awe.

The awe brought gratitude.

The gratitude brought peace.

What a lovely way to being a weekend!

(Yes- this is a REAL photo with no filters. Just my true view that morning in May.)

Poem form- Tanka (5 line poem with the syllables of 5-7-5-7-7) 

The Knowledge of Trees

Surrounded by 

tall bearers of

knowledge,

I wonder what we

could learn from you.

What would your rings of age be able to impart to us?

What conversations have fallen upon your leaves and then shed into the soil?

What inhumanity have you witnessed?

If we paused

and sat beneath you,

cherishing your strength and shade,

would you share your secrets

and lessons learned

to help man undergo a 

seasonal renewal.

Just a tribute to trees on Arbor Day. 

A walk amongst the trees is one of my favorite things. 

Skyscrapers of the Woods

 

Skyscrapers of these woods

-only the penthouse views 

are encased in greenery.

Looking up towards the blue sky and glowing sun, it struck me that only the very tops of these coniferous trees proudly fanned out green needles.

The remainder of the tree was a skinny, bare, straight trunk. Hardly any branches reached out from this tall column of arbor. Yet, it kept reaching higher battling for the light of life.

Standing there, looking up, I felt so small.