Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Eventide


Sunrise
The day is slowly fading toward dusk. Birds fly in pairs across the pale sky, calling goodnight as they go. From the topmost branch of a slender maple, the cardinal sings his evening song. At the farm, the guinea hens yawp at the setting sun from the roof of their henhouse. The horizon is pure, melted gold.

The small breeze that ruffled my hair and flipped the pages of my book this afternoon has become a mere whisper among the grasses. But, late this afternoon it fanned a smoldering pile of logs behind one of the barns into a crackling fire that threatened to burn the remaining small wood that separates my cottage from several neighbors. I heard the snap of burning wood and smelled the acrid smoke. I ran to call the fire department which came, sirens screaming, a scant five minutes later. There was no great damage done, but for a few minutes my heart beat fast at the thought of what might have been.

Dawn and dusk are my favorite times of day. The air is most often still and at this time of year smells like moist earth and green, growing things. The same hush that begins the day falls again at eventide; body and spirit rest in the silence and soft light.

Sunset

7 comments:

Brian Miller said...

thankful for that hush after the bit of excitement that you had...whew...good on you calling in the fire dept...you def dont want it to get out of hand...

Hilary said...

How frightening. I'm glad there was no great damage. Otherwise it sounds like a perfectly peaceful day. Lovely photos.

Anonymous said...

So, so scary!! I have the same fear here where I live. Your words are so calming, though. Thank you!

Tabor said...

I had something similar happen a long time ago. Congrats on returning to your lovely life.

Judith said...

So glad this has a happy ending!

Frank Baron said...

You are a fine arranger of words. Thank you for "yawp." It's a beauty.

Next time Hilary is chatting away before I have my coffee, I shall ask her to please refrain from yawping until I am sufficiently caffeinated.

:)

Pauline said...

Brian - all's well that ends well, though we all got a bit of a scare. There's something mesmerizingly awful about the sight of leaping flames.

Hilary, it was scary for a very short time. Thank goodness we're only a mile from the fire department!

Barbara - I wrote about it a couple of hours after it happened so I'd had time to calm down ;)

Tabor - my life is lovely. I will return to the hectic schedule after the 15th but this respite is wonderful.

J - me too!

Frank - any time. Just don't tell Hilary you're using a word inspired by me!