Everyone was outside today. In all her golden beauty, Spring returned. I left my library door open, with a few patrons in charge, and walked down the dirt road to post a sign about state reps coming to visit the library in a few weeks.
The melodies of blackbirds followed me.
Rapture, as near as can be…. all afternoon, my nearly 14-year-old daughter and I were out, in a day so suddenly hot. Yes, she’s a teen and wonders why I gnaw the edge of my thumb, there’s blue paint on the edge of my t-shirt, and is possible that I’ve shrunk? I say the word necklace with the wrong intonation of vowel. The knees of my jeans are stained, possibly with coffee.
And yet, on this particular day, I can see clearly how strange a creature I am in her eyes — who is this strange woman and how did she birth me? Likewise, I wonder, who is this miraculous not-girl and not-woman, and how did I birth her?
For the moment, though, there’s this afternoon, there’s just the two of us — as much rapture as I’ll likely ever deserve in this life.
We must risk delight….
We must admit there will be music despite
everything.
— Jack Gilbert, “A Brief for the Defense”
Stony Soil Vermont 
So beautifully stated. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for reading!
Lovely post. My teen and I hiked the back trails of the park yesterday (with dog, of course) and at some point, my teen was far ahead. Our dog looped back to me–ever protective–but my teen was nowhere in sight. At the car they said, “what took you so long?” and I thought, “about 60 years of mileage on these knees, my dear.” XO
You’re looking awfully good, really 🙂 xo
First a weekend of rapture, and then a Monday of floods and washed out roads. It’s getting a little biblical in Vermont! Can we get back to the rapture please? I hope you are dry and safe up north. 🙂
We’re not dry, but certainly well above flooding. I heard about the flooding south of here. Hope you’re all high and dry enough tonight.