A special providence

Sometimes, fate has other things in store for us. Sometimes the landscape changes. Sometimes the visitor at the threshold brings tiny gifts, or blessings, or small scrolls with a little ragged information. Best to listen for that knock.

When she comes to the door, she looks as she always does, and her eyes have that savant gaze that looks at me, through me, and far beyond me at once. No matter that typical mortal subjects like math, science, literature, and other things that we all learn in school remain distinctly beyond her use or understanding. She has always looked on something else, and I think she always will.

Rain has swept in off the ocean today. The land lies quiet and sullen, punctuated by rivulets. Bird song. Tonight’s darkness will be chorused by thousands of frogs.

I Meant To Do My Work Today

I meant to do my work today,
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me. 

And the wind went sighing over the land,
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a rainbow held out its shining hand–
So what could I do but laugh and go? –Richard Le Gallienne

Other things in store, yes, except not that. Not exactly that.

For the moment, this moment only, there is pressing work. It only pays a little and it is far from permanent, yet I cannot pass on it in this long period of drought. So while I still seek something more supportive and more durable, I have to go and attend to what there is. A departure. But not a permanent or even a long one. Into the land of wishing it were a field, while I tend to what I can.

In the meantime, there is always advice. Listen as much as you can this week to frogs or birds or anything except the news. If you are near the shore, go there and listen to the waves or to the quiet of notwaves if your nearness is smaller ponds. Near rivers, go to them and think of them, hearing voices of all the stones they must have touched. Otherwise, go out and listen to this most excellent canopy the air. Bathe in that. Revel in it. Luxuriate. Continue to avoid the news. Then see if you don’t feel better.

For my part, I will be back as soon as I can, in a week I hope.