Sometimes the plantmobile stops at places other than gardens or nurseries. Between gardens in the Olympia area a couple of weeks ago, Carmen (Elantra) pulled off the side of the road to allow us to see this.
A moment of peace as butterflies came to drink on the shore and neon blue bodied damselflies glittered all around.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti's words came to mind:
Silent Noon
Your hands lie open in the long fresh grass, -
The finger-points look through like rosy blooms:
Your eyes smile peace. The pasture gleams and glooms
'Neath billowing skies that scatter and amass.
All round our nest, far as the eye can pass,
Are golden kingcup fields with silver edge
Where the cow-parsley skirts the hawthorn-hedge.
'Tis visible silence, still as the hour-glass.
Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragon-fly
Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky;-
So this wing'd hour is dropt to us from above.
Oh! clasp we to our hearts, for deathless dower,
This close-companioned inarticulate houre
When twofold silence was the song of love.
The poem was set to music by Ralph Vaughan Williams and is one of my favorite songs.
My favorite ! I love watching the John Shirley Quirk version ...over and over .
ReplyDeleteA great singer, may he rest in peace.
DeleteWonderful! My blood pressure slowed down just listening and seeing those calming views. Just beautiful! ~ Anna
ReplyDeleteIt was a nice moment.
DeleteThat first shot is beautiful! How wonderful that Carmen had the presence of mind to stop and let you drink in that loveliness. Thanks for sharing the poem and the song with us.
ReplyDeleteCarmen usually has better sense than I do about such things.
DeletePeter ... this is shear bliss ! .. what a perfect moment in time (as if it almost stands still for you) ..drinking in this beauty is what our soul needs to restart some times .. the element of peace is such a gift .. I envy you this wonderful moment but love that you have shared with us as well set out this poem and music to enhance it. Thank you !
ReplyDeleteAlways a pleasure to share special moments like this one.
DeleteCarmen has great taste!
ReplyDeleteSomeone in the OG has to have good taste as I certainly don't.
DeleteAh, that PNW water! That song feels like a memory of summer in the wilderness to me. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful scene! I think dragonflies (somewhat unusual here) are magical too.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed seeing the calm stream with the reflection of the sky in the water. Fun to hear the poem as a song too.
ReplyDeleteDamselfly. I learned a new word. Beautiful creature and beautiful view!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully peaceful, esp when accompanied by music and poetry.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a little piece of heaven on earth. Thanks for that moment of peace as July transitions to August.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the peaceful moments and lovely scenery. We used to canoe small rivers like that (haven't gone for two years now, too busy...) anyway, there is nothing like simply drifting along on the water with a dragonfly perched on the front of the boat. (And we name our vehicles too!)
ReplyDelete