Saturday, March 24, 2018

Beautiful


At half past three a storm blows down from the mountains. It hits the house square on with what seems like the force of a runaway train. Shutters rattle, downpipes creak , the watering cans I didn't put away scatter across the courtyard. Then, as suddenly as it's come, it goes. Silence. 'The Font' and the PONs sleep on quite unaware of our tree bending visitor. The owls enjoy a lengthy post storm conversation.

This morning Sophie takes a long, noisy drink from the water bowl at the front door. She is ready to bestow a cold wet kiss on her master but he's too quick for her and avoids the advancing, dripping, muzzle.


'Quick' is not a word associated with the ladies from the Women's Cooperative. Although it had been agreed that they would return after they recovered from their colds, probably sometime after Easter, four of them appear on the doorstep. Their approach to decorating runs to the scatter gun. Some furniture is moved in the hallway .....


..... and a bed is moved away from the wall in a downstairs bedroom. Wallpaper is put up. Some ceiling beams get a splash of paint ... others don't.

Despite the surrounding chaos Sophie adamantly refuses to move from 'her' spot in the hall. The top coat of paint on the skirting boards where she sleeps will need to wait until some future date.


Came across this simple  little poem by  Raymond Carver. Written in 1988. His last poem. The 'even so ?' at the end of the first line a genius hint of a longer more intimate conversation.



Googling the poem I found this which could be maudlin but is beautiful in its simplicity: https://readalittlepoetry.wordpress.com/2013/06/14/late-fragment-by-raymond-carver/







12 comments:

MOPL said...

Thankyou for the link.

Wishfully thinking said...

Did that cheer you? It makes me moyen a life I’ll lived

Wishfully thinking said...

Mourn..flippin’ autocorrect!

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
I find nothing maudlin here... but then, inspite of life, I have got what I wanted...
Love the tousled hair do and the refusal to budge for paintbrushes! YAM xx

Anonymous said...

Oh Angus, you have such a wonderful home. I just love that bedroom paper...made me smile.
The beams! The bed! If that is the guest room, book me in :-) I always love the Font's choices.
Pam in NH

BaileyBobSouthernDog said...

Angus. Sometime back you asked, “Should I continue my Blog?”. We all responded, “Oh yes, please do continue!” Today’s post is one of many examples why you should continue. Aside from the fact that Bob and Sophie are such a delightful way to start our morning, with our coffee or tea, there are your post which jolt us in ways you could never imagine. You and We never know which post that might be. I wish to thank you for being there every morning, sharing with us the events, pictures, your thoughts, and other items you feel would be of interest to us.

Stephanie said...

The Women's Cooperative will not be hurried along. The Raymond Carver poem has long been a favorite; thank you for reminding me of it. And I really must heartily second Bailey Bob's comment. Stephanie (Jo) in a very windy, cold and wet Northern California

rottrover said...

Here, here!!

WFT Nobby said...

Indeed a beautiful 'fragment', wholly new to me.
Thanks! Gail.

Emm said...

Ditto to the comments about continuing B&SFA. You choices of poetry and pictures and snippets of news from here and there always brighten my day.
And thank you for Raymond Carver. He was quite wonderful and has fallen out of attention these last few years, alas.

I'm a Sophie Doodle Dog said...

Beautiful. Thank you.

Poppy Q said...

The wallpaper is quite sweet.