HELLO SEPTEMBER

"Italy Stories, a beginning"

have been staring in the face over the last few weeks.

There's plenty more on those lines to share right here,

but things have been, well, a bit hectic.

Hectic but serene at the same time.

You see, 

a huge project fell through,

a project that I was already stressed about during the summer holidays,

and this turn came as a relief I have to say. 

Plenty of better things were waiting around the corner,

a number of smaller gigs that happened to fall around the same time.

Much nicer ones than the one I was sort of dreading.

And I've learned something in the process,

something of trust,

swearing under my breath not to say 'yes' to the wrong things

the next time round,

even in a moment of despair.

And although it's been mad busy,

there's been a sense of new things on the horizon,

an autumm, which awaits like a journal,

the first pages leaving a little breathless,

but beyond, pages inviting in their exquisite promise of unknown opportunities.

This weekend I've also said my goodbyes.

The workspace I've had the pleasure of winding my way to

on and off over the last few years

awaits its new, wonderful tenants. 

A creative couple I admire so brought in their cardboard boxes,

a huge painting wrapped up and leaning against those windows I loved so,

as I left my key on the table & closed that door for the last time. 

Although the goodbyes are bittersweet,

I know this is how it's meant to be. 

The roses might be nearly gone,

but there are plenty of flowers in this season.

A little odd in their beauty sometimes

& wonderful all the same. 

Treasures in the shadows
waiting for us to take notice.

x

OPEN & CLOSED

October the first.

Trees still mostly green,

but this last week

a definite shift in the air.

Although a tad apprehensive

about the increasing coldness that awaits,

I take pleasure in these shifting seasons,

a reminder of each moment having its own beauty,

its own soul.

And amid the constant changes,

I value what has remained over the years.

Family, old, steadfast friends.

As autumn gains a deeper layer,

in between the calendar entries,

I get an urge to huddle and quieten down.

In the best case, 

give my all to each encounter,

then in the quiet moments

meet with my own soul.

In the autumn dimness,

have ever clearer eyes.

"Your hand opens & closes,

opens & closes.

If it were always a fist

or always stretched open,

you would be paralysed.

Your deepest presence

is in every small contracting & expanding,

the two as beautifully balanced & coordinated

as birds' wings."

~ Rumi

PACEM

That, folks, was a mixed bag of a week.

Sunlight, 

grey skies, 

lots of stuff landing on the desk unexpectedly, 

totally changing the planned agenda,

a special encounter with a person 

who instantly felt like a soulmate 

and an enticing offer that shone a new light 

on almost everything,

exhibition of Francesca Woodman,

the beauty and anguish getting under the skin,

 tiredness, stress and sore eyes,

sharing some heartache with a friend 

over a cup of ginger tea, 

both going through something similar – 

at the end of the conversation, 

we concluded that we’ve both done what we can 

to keep the peace on every side, 

all you can do is hold it all on an open hand 

and receive the peace that belongs to us. 

So thankful for friends 

with whom we can truly share the journey, 

in the middle of it,

not just the highlights

or after reaching clarity over something.

The mess n' all. 

The light and lightness 

for both after a good heart to heart.

Life is rich, many-sided 

and beauty takes a myriad of forms.

Wishing you a restful weekend! 

x

P.S.
The quickest among you
may have noticed a quick music swap.
Wasn't so happy with the quality
of the youtube version I found
of Peteris Vasks' Dona Nobis Pacem,
but it's a dream on Spotify
sung by the Latvian Radio Choir.
But instead, Valse Triste by Sibelius.
My son is practicing it for his orchestra
this week.
We sat down together and listened especially
to the lower notes rather than the melody,
and suddenly discovered a whole new layer of nuances.
One of those pieces
you can't listen to without getting a little tearful.