One Day In August

Today's blog started out only as a posting of another Mary Oliver poem - which I will get to - but first, an olio of thoughts about today, the past, and the month. 

First, front and center, is a photo of my Grandma Lynam holding my youngest child, Preston, in August, 1971. Today is his 53rd birthday. I had not calculated it before, but Grandma was the same age (80) then as I am now. 

If I could figure out how to do it, I could show a side-by-side comparison - Great-grandma Bessie with Preston and Great-grandma Ramona with Henri. 

I have many photos of my son and I together at all ages. This is one of my favorites of us as adults.

It was taken probably ten or more years ago when we visited him one day at work.

I've always loved the bemused expression on his face.

On the local news yesterday there was a shot of all the pink lilies blooming in West Des Moines. I thought that was interesting because mine hadn't bloomed yet.

Then early this a.m. when I went out - Surprise!

There's a reason one of the names for this member of the amaryllis family is the Surprise Lily. Others are Resurrection Lily and my favorite, Naked Ladies.

Now the poem....

Swimming, One Day In August 

By Mary Oliver

It is time now, I said,
for the deepening and quieting of the spirit
among the flux of happenings.

Something had pestered me so much
I thought my heart would break.
I mean, the mechanical part.

I went down in the afternoon
to the sea
which held me, until I grew easy.

About tomorrow, who knows anything.
Except that it will be time, again,
for the deepening and quieting of the spirit.

It wasn't the sea I was reminded of swimming in - though I remember how easy it was to swim in the Caribbean Sea due to the buoyancy of the salt water - but the beach at Lake Icaria in 1980. 

That summer was so hot, with temps at or above 100° for many days, that as soon as I got home from work, I would pull together some picnic food and Preston and Kari and I would head for the lake - where we stay until the sun was going down - trying to stay cool in the water.

Like Oliver, there was something pestering my heart at that time.

Lastly, in this hodgepodge first blog of the month, is a comment about the new photo in my header. I took it south of town along the High and Dry Road in August a few years ago.

I had labeled it: "August: Union County". I wonder if anyone got my tongue in cheek reference to the movie. (August: Osage County) 😎