time leaves its mark on both
old firewood and new
tallied by seasons
of delicate pencil-growth
and metered by
the gnomon shadow
of the falling axe
time's passage is
guided by the sweeping curve
of planets and whole galaxies
of one cat, nine lives
everything turning
beneath the circle
of the sky
Photo: “Sadie on the Woodpile” taken in Ronan, Montana in summer 2003.
My friend, Juanita Small Salmon, and her husband Stephen, run a sweat house one evening each week on their property. Stephen has just brought down a load of new firewood, used to heat the rocks, and stacked it against the sweathouse wall. I liked the patterns the ends of the logs made, and at first I didn’t even see Sadie on top, curled up in a ball as she was, until she raised her face to watch me take her picture.
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30 comments:
nothing like a stack of firewood, as Sadie says! ~ comforting. Sadie no doubt like sleeping close to the fire too.
I really enjoyed reading this Deborah, great take on the prompt. And what an adorable photo. Meooooooow!
Hugs, G
cool photo-didn't even notice the cats in a ball or circle till you mentioned it.
Wonderful, as always!
Love your words as always and, of course, the photo! Love Sadie!
delicate pencil-growth
and metered by
the gnomon shadow
Wow, friend. Just lovely.
Have you ever seen the trunk of a HUGE tree which has been cut down??? It's interesting to count the rings in it... Makes me realize that I'm just a tiny speck in this world...
Chipmunks and who knows what else LIVE in our woodpile...
Great post, Deb.
Hugs,
Betsy
The most amazing things are the circles on trees that tells their age ... I loved exploring it when I was a child, and reading your poem made me smile ...I once came across a snake in a bunch of logs, and I can't tell you how many circles I ran thinking I was being chased!
I've always been fascinated by the rings of life inside a tree trunk...I loved your post and you had a great photo to go with it. Cute kitty! :~)
wonderful piece...
amazing things, tree rings! All those years becoming circles.
Lovely words! I too am a lover of tree rings. They are so interesting to look at. The the cat on top of the wood pile.
Hi Deborah--
I love the galaxies of Sadie.
Great photo and thoughts that allow us to see the everyday in that bigger circle, cycle.
Love to you--
Combining everything into a perfect cycle.
Sweet photo
savory words!
Aloha-
Oh, yeah! That is a beautiful piece. These mysteries are measured in small things and large until they are one and the same.
I love the fact that you always send me to the dictionary to learn new words! I love the line
"whole galaxies/of one cat"
Having 9 cats I really appreciate that!
This is great..love the pic and everything it evoked!
Time indeed leaves it mark. One cat and nine lives.
Its like a story.
Great one.
Hi Deborah, does my old fashioned analog watch with its circular face and encircling hands count?
I haven't seen any marks, there generally aren't any unless the hand is rubbing.
I hadn't really thought of time in respect to circling, but there is the saying that what goes around comes around.
I liked your poem, I couldn't help my self on the above.
..
BTW, did you see Lulin on its nearby circluar orbit or seeping curving path? I missed it.
..
Sadie is one alert pet. really cool shot and interesting poem
Great use of circles - your use of gnomon, falling axe and circle of the sky are superb...
All right Deborah, you taught me a new word today. Who knew that "gnomon" was the word for the "riased part of a sundial!" I do now! Love the poem and the photo of the wood with all those check marks in it. I love to chop wood but haven't done it in ages.
Beautiful words and love the cat waiting for a mouse to jump out.
Wonderful poem, feels as though it encompassed the entire universe. Circles indeed. The second stanza really touched me.
Phew. I didn't see Sadie, till I read that she was there - Love this!!
As I was looking at the photo of the wood pile, I was struck by the circles of Time within the circle of the wood its self...it really fit the prompt and gave much room for thought.
Hi there, Sadie! My cats, Gandalf and Grayson, also love to climb up on the woodpile! It's one of their most favorite spots!
I love how you tied this all together. beneath the circle of the sky.
Beautiful poem and I loved the picture- almost missed seeing Sadie on top of the woodpile!
just lovely
I love your poems. This was beautiful.
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