October Gave a Party...

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came-
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.

The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.

Mike, Joshua and I hiked the gorgeous Ramsey Cascades trail today in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.  Recent rains have left the forest quite damp, and the upper elevations were filled with the mist that gives the park it's name.  We felt like we were walking in the clouds.  I could almost sense the individual little pinpricks of cool water hanging in the air as they pressed against my skin.  I was completely enchanted by it.  It gave everything a sense of mystery and romance.

At the lower elevations, the canopy was stunning.  Against an overcast sky the leaves seemed positively luminous.  Chartreuse, lemon, tangerine, and scarlet pulsed with vibrancy, giving light to the darkened wood.  As we got higher, the kaleidoscope was at our feet.  I couldn't stop taking pictures.

I kept thinking how much fun it must be for God to create such spectacular beauty in so very many shapes and textures and hues.  Every day.  In thousands of places all over the world.  Amazing!!

There are a great many more photographs I would like to share, and probably more words.  But, I am typing this on our balcony which is the only place the wireless works.  I have been watching my breath form ever more lusty clouds.  And now, my fingers are freezing up.  Enjoy this little sampling for now. 

 

*October Gave a Party was written by George Cooper.

**Full Photo album HERE.

Comments

[Sandra King]

Absolutely beautiful!!

[Iz]

Seriously, if you don't frame some of those and hang them in your house I'm going to poke you in the eye! I can't even imagine how amazing it was in reality...

[Gloris]

Love the poem and the pictures. Beautiful!

[Gail Hyatt]

Oh, Shelia, these are breathtaking. PLEASE, next time, take me!

I have never heard or read October Gave A Party. LOVE IT!! Thank you George Cooper. I think you could have totally written one as beautiful.

Thanks for sharing all of the above!!

Love you,
Gail

[twitter.com/davidteems]

In all the busyness (yeah, I spelled it right) and noise we willingly steep ourselves in most of the time, it really is something to know that such beauty, such a rich natural lyricism is so close to us. Each one of those pictures is a poem. The following is an excerpt from a devo of mine. I don't add it here to distract or to annnoy, but only to augment the beauty of your verse and the poetry in the pictures you took.

" . . . the warming of colors, leafy blots that dapple the earth,
that gild our banks, that weep scarlet upon our hills,
that jewel our dying lawns with gold and rubies,
our fields with blood and fire,
that set the earth ablaze in voiceless ecstasies,
in a conflagration of slow and heatless flames,
the transposing of the earth in its dying season,
may it invoke its sorrows to the heart,
called back from the deep reserves
like harvest and regathering, homecoming and reunion . . . " [ http://tr.im/CZMM ]

Enough. I just dig the fact that there are poetic souls like yours and Mike's still wandering about, a bit untamed. And forgive the ooze and drip of my words. Fall does that to me too.

David

[Joan Kirkpatrick]

It's like being there! First moved by the poem then picture by picture.... let the show begin! Thank you God for your beautiful world.

[Jen]

Such beauty! You capture it w/ pictures and words. Thank you!