Greetings, Poetry Lovers! Popping in this week (how is August already on our doorstep?!) and will pop in and out again in August with family gatherings and traveling to an art workshop. Extra positive thoughts and vibes and prayers for those of you about to start a new school year - as teachers, media folks, parents or students!
We've been baking in the Southeast, as I know other regions have, in recent weeks. However, the highs this weekend will plunge from the 90s to the 70s for a couple of days - we'll take it! We've had pop-up storms for days after a dry spell. Last weekend, after visiting with my folks in Florida, hubby Jeff and I (and our fluff-pup Rookie) stopped at the SC coast on our way back for a couple of days for Jeff's birthday weekend. Lovely days - but when we came up from the beach at lunch time on Saturday, the temp was already 97 with a 110-degree heat index. Too hot even for this Florida gal.
Our yard plants were parched when we returned, but we brought those thunderstorms with us, so they're happier now. Jeff and the wee grand-laddie had planted sunflowers and zinnias from seed a few weeks ago, and the pollinators are enjoying them.
As summer winds down, I've got a new artsy endeavor making handmade greeting cards - more on that very soon! - and used that as an excuse to add to my store of antique periodicals, as ephemera and vintage rubber stamps are primary ingredients. Today I unwrapped a bound volume of several issues of HARPER'S MAGAZINE from 1887. In these pages I found a poem by Amélie Rives (1863-1945). Some of you in the Virginia area might be familiar with her; I was not. Wikipedia tells me she traveled in famous, wealthy circles by the names mentioned, and that she was a goddaughter of Robert E. Lee? Her first marriage was to descendent of the Astors and her second marriage was to a Russian prince. Her most famous work was the novel, The Quick or the Dead?
But back to summer weather....
BEFORE THE RAIN
by Amélie Rives
The blackcaps pipe among the reeds,
And there'll be rain to follow;
There is a murmur as of wind
In every coign and hollow;
The wrens do chatter of their fears.
While swinging on the barley-ears.
Come, hurry, while there yet is time,
Pull up thy scarlet bonnet.
Now, sweetheart, as my love is thine,
There is a drop upon it.
So trip it ere the storm-hag weird
Doth pluck the barley by the beard!
Lo! Not a whit too soon we're housed;
The storm-witch yells above us;
The branches rapping on the panes
Seem not in truth to love us.
And look where through the clover bush
The nimble-footed rain doth rush!
As I type this Thursday eve., I see on the news that rain has been anything but nimble-footed in the parts of the northeast and on the coast. Prayers for those affected by flooding, and wishing you and yours safe passage through these stormy days.
Speaking of rain, please grab your umbrellas and go see our wonderful Jane at Rain City Librarian for this week's Roundup! Thanks for hosting, Jane, and I'll see you all in a couple-ish weeks!
