speechless….
by bam
sometimes, silence is the most eloquent salutation.
and so, this heady morning, when the fireworks are kerpow-pow-powing in the tangles of my sweet viburnum…
and the clouds of unrelenting fine perfume are puff-puff-puffing overtime, yanking by the nostrils even otherwise distracted passersby–the dogwalkers, the kids plugged into pods of every decibel, the phalanxes of exer-chicks, the ones who strut in stretchy black, clocking mile after mile…
(i have seen them, yessiree, lift their noses, sniff, and turn their heads, straining to spy the chimney such deliciousness is coming from, as if i’d been baking sugar buns, and the evidence, invisible but un-missable, was wafting to the sidewalk)…
i leave you, then, this morning with little more than the best my bush can offer: a quiet moment’s contemplation, and a simple prayer.
that the full-tilt of this spring’s unfolding has somehow seeped inside your soul, your lungs, your step, your heart. that you, like me, are tingling with the aliveness of the holy, noisy world that comes but once a year. the birds who can’t stop warbling, trilling, yodeling their scales. and blooms who’ve put out every oomph they had.
oh, that we could cup this throbbing, pulsing hour and tuck it in our pocket for when we need reminder. that what was slow in coming, looking doubtful, was really only in the offing. gathering all its force, so it could come like rushing wind and water.
we’re awash right now in sacred promise kept. and tipsy from the knowing that faith came through again.
what’s this, you ask, why all the fuss over something merely blooming? well, it’s only that we’re practicing the art of paying attention. fine season to begin, again, the months when all the world is making such a ruckus, and you can hardly be alive if you’re not struck by something wholly lovely, and rather full of grace. tomorrow likely closes this week of watching one viburnum open up to life…..
if you’re only now checking in, the whole journey, up till today, is in the five days’ meanders leading up to this one….peek in, in any order. heck, depending how you click, you could play a game and make the spring open up and close, go back and forth, or sideways. or simply follow them in order……the way the spicy viburnum mostly did…
Mine opened today.I have always said,every woman should have this viburnum in their garden. It makes one giddy with delight.The fragrance is almost inebriating.Spring is worth the wait…
I have loved watching this epic little tale unfold… So nice to take a few moments to stop and smell the flowers. 😉
Ah, and Guilford. I almost forgot.Weeeelll, I’ve been taking classes at the community college and searching for the place where I belong, the next step, somewhere I can go and grow and just learn as much as I can… It’s very anxious state, actually. I visited Guilford weeks and weeks ago and fell in love with the school, the campus, the people… It seemed to fit just right. So, I spent some hard, agonizing weeks applying and waiting for an answer. Now I’m in, and I’m so happy, and trusting that this is a sign that I am meant to be there. (And that, therefore, things like money, fear/excitement over moving out, etc. will work themselves out.)
Ah Ivy….the viburnum picture might be a nice metaphor for you too…as you bloom and grow (check out “Candide”, the musical and perhaps even the book) – anyway this little sojourn into the life of a blooming plant has been a pleasure. One of my favorite memories of parenting was my first born (daughter) and walking with her around the block. It was a lovely reaquaintance with the “micro world”. She focused in on every tiny changing moment and pulled me from my life that was focused on every macro-moment. This is a just one reason I love you Bam…..because it it the micro-moments that bind us….somewhat like the lowly but so important velcro. It is all the little stuff that gets caught in “velcro” and is part of that which connects us firmly together in the macro world.
Wait, don’t be done with this little observation….I want to see a photo of the thing in reckless abandoned full bloom!Thank you for stopping and staring, just like lamcal’s microworld toddler, who with fresh excited eyes loves everything she sees, and sees so much more than we too-high grownups in a hurry. This spring is pounding me with beauty. It is a season which sort of forces the issue–transforms us all back into that staggering toddler and makes us stop with shock and surprise at the beauty it’s as if we’ve never seen.
dear beloveds, it has been a heart-breaking, hair-pulling day as all day i have been trying to get my hallelujah entry to publish. but it won’t. it’s being very stubborn. i thought for a while there i lost the whole site. so i think i’ve lost 10 pounds in worry today. i have something beautiful to show you, if only the computer will cooperate. my plans are being foiled, though. whisper somethings to the voodoo creatures who make these dang computers do their thang,…..