Monday, December 21, 2009

letting go of autumn

a walk home
across the otonabee river


along the shoreline
of little lake


which is gradually
developing a skin of ice


to the west
the sun sets
on the last day of autumn



i let go the autumn
at the edge of the broad sky,
among the fleeting clouds.

38 comments:

Dan Gurney said...

Lovely haiky by fujiwara no tameie. It seems to be talking about letting go of middle age, too, or perhaps I'm just reading that into it as I approach my sixth decade....

Jenny Stevning said...

(Gasp) I don't know that I am ready to let go of autumn. This gives me much food for thought...the symbolic, personal meaning and transformation in the seasons. Yikes! It makes me crying thinking of saying good-bye to autumn. Guess I must let go just like all the leaves did.

NanU said...

Gorgeous photographs, especially the last one.
I've been so busy lately I've neglected to stop by, but your blog is always an island of peace and reflection. Thank you for the zen moments!

Pauline said...

And now we rest and then we rise again. That last photo is lovely!

Barry said...

I've been to Peterborough often, in the summer and in the dead of winter. But I don't think I have ever been at this time of year, or seen the ice just starting to form on Little Lake.

A special treat Steven.

Crafty Green Poet said...

lovely photos, we said goodbye to autumn a wee while ago here i think.... going by the 'the season's change when they change' interpretation....

Golden West said...

That's quite a beach you have there! I hope you're enjoying your time away from school, with time to do your favorite things and savor the blessings of Christmas.

Tess Kincaid said...

Your keen artistic eye caught some beautiful shots, Steven. Thanks for sharing your evening walk with us.

steven said...

hi dan - you know it's interesting you should mention that because many of the haiku i've cosen have caused to reflect inwardly on their metaphoric allusions in the area of my age and stage of life. i'm not especially concerned with my age as i am with aging. i am not ready to let go of experiences and abilities that i value. have a peaceful day. steven

steven said...

hello jenny stevning! it often seems like an afterthought to say goodbye to autumn around here simply because i equate snow, ice and sub zero temperatures with winter and it's been that way for several weeks. but when i look back at my autumnal posts and the treasures that arrived there, well i feel sad also. but on the bright side - it'll start getting brighter for longer now and believe me when you sandwich your day in-between these sort of stats: Dec 21, 2009 sunrise 7:46 AM sunset 4:37 PM total sunshine 8h 51m 03s you can get just a little stir-crazy!!! i'm looking forward to the return of the sun. have a lovely day jenn. steven

steven said...

nanu! so cool to see you here. thanks for the nice comments of course. have a lovely day. steven

steven said...

hello pauline, with winter the search for colour and light intensifies! i will find the tiniest glow, the faintest pulse. have a lovely day. steven

steven said...

hello barry - this is the first time i've actually seen ice forming on little lake! i've seen it forming on the river which is still very high at the moment so it is forming more slowly because of the current. have a peaceful day. steven

steven said...

crafty green - i agree with you ( see my comment to jenny stevning). i thik that there are more than four seasons in fact as there are discernible changes that occur before the actual calendar change. have a lovely day. steven

steven said...

golden west - in the summer that's where the wakeboarding championships are held, there are concerts, art shows. in the winter it's the domain of the hardy few including wintering over birds and stumbling photographers. have a lovely day! steven

steven said...

hi willow, thankyou for dropping by and for the nice comment. steven

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Beautifully composed shots steven. In the first one, I feel like I could reach out and touch the silky, smooth surface. Just lovely.

And ah yes...the eternal process of letting go...to welcome what is, now.

Happy transition into 2010!!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Lovely photos, beautiful river, lovely words - goodbye Autumn and hello Winter with a vengeance here in deep snow Steven.

Butternut Squash said...

In Japanese, yƻgen, refers to a profound grace and subtlety. I have always thought of it as the beauty of winter. It is a cold lonely beauty. I love the poetry that you find, and your wonderful photos.

steven said...

bonnie thankyou very much! i loved the ways the slight edge of sunset coloured the thin thin film of ice. 2010. i remember when i was a kid and couldn't conceive of life in 2010. here it almost is! have a lovely day. steven

Anonymous said...

Wow. The color is so vivid and bright. It makes me question what my Canons put out.

Linda Sue said...

I agree with Dan- Seems lately 'Goodby' is all I do or say and that is my lesson in this life- letting go- going on and being patient. LOVE the icy shots of the river. Must go get another cardigan -suddenly, I am chillier.Your photos are effectie and beautiful. Must go warm up on somebody's blog that has a fire going...

Titus said...

steven, those blues in the photographs are incredible! True winter cool colours - beautiful.

ellen abbott said...

These are beautiful steven, especially the top and bottom ones. Happy solstice. We welcome back the sun.

Kay said...

gorgeous shots steven...we have snow here but our lake doesn't freeze...it flows too fast i think...hope that you are having a great time....

nollyposh said...

Sooooo ~Beautiful~ Merry Christmas my friend to You & yours from Me & mine x

steven said...

hello abe - i'm using olympus cameras. these particular pictures were taken with my son's nikon. i don't know much about the technical side of the tools i use. i prefer it that way. sometimes i discover features by accident and i find that more exciting than reading manuals!!! have a peaceful evening. steven

steven said...

oh linda sue - i so get what you're saying. this year i said goodbye to five people who were very important to me. but they needed to fly on so off they went!
i need some warm pictures in here - you're right. see i have a big sweater on as i write because it's twenty below outside!!!! keep warm! steven

steven said...

titus thankyou. there they were - hovering in the sky, drifting in the water. all i have to do is push a button and share. have a peaceful evening. steven

steven said...

ellen - i wish you a happy solstice. the days get longer now - hurray yippee and hallelujah!!! really truly i love light and colour so much that the darkness is very difficult. but it's what is. have a peaceful evening. steven

steven said...

kay - it's low key but i'm happy to be able to do almost entirely what i choose. minimal stress. time to enjoy my kids and vice versa!! have a lovely evening. steven

steven said...

thanks so much nolly posh! i'm so happy to see you drop by!! steven

Joanna said...

Hi Steven, these photographs are absolutely beautiful. It makes me (almost) want to be where the weather's cold. I hope you have a peaceful and lovely Christmas holiday with your family.

Reya Mellicker said...

By the time winter arrives, I am SO OVER autumn. I love the way you respect all the seasons, and express your reverence.

Happy winter, Steven!

Lisa Ursu said...

Wishing you all the very best this holiday season, and in the coming year Steven.
These pictures are so beautiful, especially with the snow falling on your blog.
You are so talented!!!
I am in awe.
Thanks for that.
All the best.

steven said...

joanna i bet you're wishing you were still in canada with these beautiful scenes - not!!!! i hope that you're groovin' along down in mexico. i'm going to be visiting and doing a catch up on your activities over the last week sometime later today! have a peaceful day. steven

steven said...

hi reya - exactly! the bridge is built, we've crossed it and here we are waiting for the calendar to catch up!!! i love the seasons for different reasons. each gives and takes something. what they all leave are resonant memories of beauty. enjoy your sudden and massive winter gift!!!! steven

steven said...

hi liza - thankyou very much for the christmas wishes. thankyou also for your very generous comments about the blog. i love this place and i visit here myself. i really set it up as a place of peace. a place to remember the little moments of beauty that fill our days. so a refuge if you like. i'm really glad that you enjoy this place also. have a lovely holiday liza. steven