Archive for the ‘Minnesota’ Category
November 2, 2024
It never seems to be a conscious process.
No cognitive ability at work.
No intentional selection.
They are merely instances.
Immediate, spontaneous instances.
Visceral reactions around memories.
Absent is, “I am reminded of …”
Or, “Gee, that is just like when …”
A sight, a sound,
Fragrance, odor,
Moisture, warmth,
A time of year, the smell of rain,
Heat, cold, wind, calm,
A slant of light.
Any one of these can push a button.
Flip a switch.
Suddenly, I am somewhere else.
What surfaces can be happy or sad,
Embarrassing, discouraging,
Feel lonely, hopeful, remorseful.
When I hear its call,
A red-winged black bird
Transports me to my childhood.
Not literally, but way more than figuratively.
I am there.
Emotions stir.
My heart is there.
During summer vacation from grade school,
I would listen to mourning doves
Through the open window.
The sound of a slow rain
Pulls me into a very lonely space
Exacerbated by a memory of unease
In an often hostile environment.
Especially in the fall as winter looms.
Hearing a train in the distance,
A surplus of meaning and yearning
That I can’t untangle.
The rustling of dry leaves.
What?
That fall is coming?
School resuming?
Lake homes temporarily abandoned?
The lake still, free of waves or sounds.
No one around if help is needed.
Perceptions of danger and dread fold together into loneliness.
I wonder, sometimes,
Do I miss those moments?
Is that what makes it seem lonely?
Or do I miss being that person I used to be?
Posted in loneliness, Minnesota, Nature, Personal, Personal Growth, Poetry, Solitude | Leave a Comment »
July 28, 2019
Old lawn chairs at the lake
Circa 1946, after the war
Steel
Heavy, very heavy
Yet very comfortable
A reminder of my parents
Those chairs, their chairs
Brought to this cabin
For their 50s
Summer home
During the walk from the lakeshore
The long uphill walk
Midway from the lake to the cabin
Those chairs
A welcome respite
Sometimes I imagine
Mom and Dad
Sitting in those chairs
At night, overlooking the lake
Bathed in starlight
Their ashes are nearby
Tags:Nature, personal, poetry
Posted in Family, gratitude, Homelife, Minnesota, Nature, Personal, Poetry, Solitude | 4 Comments »
October 5, 2018
With the early morning fog
All was white-gray
Seeing nothing for more than 100 yards
Islands were not to be seen
Nor the far shore
Silence
Well, not quite
Soft, gentle movement heard
Water caressing the rock-strewn
Beach
I was thinking, for me,
This is a new experience
And certainly so
On this day, in this place
At this age
Who I am today is new
What I experience today is new
All I see and all I hear, new
The me of now
Has never existed before
I’ve never been this me before
I should be in awe of everything
Tired of nothing
Open to the grace
Of all things
©2018 Thomas W. Cummins
Tags:Nature, personal, poetry, serenity, Solitude, spirituality, theology
Posted in Faith, gratitude, Minnesota, Nature, Personal, Personal Growth, Poetry, Solitude, Spirituality | 5 Comments »
October 4, 2017
Gilt by a setting sun
Trees
Golden
Across the lake
On the shore
A window on an unseen cabin
Angled just right
Ablaze with reflected light
This side, this shore
Could seem gloomy here in the woods
At the foot of the hill
No sunlight on grass or leaves
But tomorrow’s coolness of morning
Fresh sparkle of sun’s rising
Brings a new day
A new beginning
©2017 Thomas W. Cummins
Tags:Nature, poetry, Solitude
Posted in Minnesota, Nature, Personal, Poetry, Solitude | Leave a Comment »
October 1, 2015
—∞—
If only words could let me share
But what can they do?
Re-imagining a morning walk
On an hilly dirt road
Through the woods
Past driveways leading down to the lake
To hidden cabins
Early morning rising sun
Leaves bursting with color
Light flirting with shadows among the trees
Aspens shimmering in an unnoticed breeze
It was very cool, if not cold
Hands taking turns
Between pocket and hiking stick
A deer’s follow-me white flag
Bounding, bounding, bounding … gone
At the bottom of a hill
A pair of ducks exploding from a small pond
Little flocks of tiny birds
Gathering something for breakfast
Amidst the weeds and lingering wildflowers
Unnoticed before
The breeze has picked up
And plays with the holes in my walking stick
A horrible flute
Producing a tone that is simply beautiful
Appearing then vanishing
With the rhythm of my gait
An hour later
Back at the cabin
Warm
Invigorated
Sitting by the window
Steaming cup of coffee
Sparking lake beyond the sheltering glass
© 2015 Thomas W. Cummins
Tags:exercise, Minnesota, Nature, personal, poetry, serenity, Solitude
Posted in gratitude, Minnesota, Nature, Personal, Poetry, Solitude | 5 Comments »
In a dim light... 
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