Spring and Fall

Spring and Fall

to a young child

Márgarét, áre you gríeving

Over Goldengrove unleaving?

Leáves like the things of man, you

With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?

Ah! ás the heart grows older

It will come to such sights colder

By and by, nor spare a sigh

Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;

And yet you wíll weep and know why.

Now no matter, child, the name:

Sórrow’s spríngs áre the same.

Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed

What heart heard of, ghost guessed:

It ís the blight man was born for,

It is Margaret you mourn for.  

               -Gerard Manley Hopkins              
                        

This arrangement by Natalie Merchant convey's the poignancy this poem contains.



More of Natalie's work and work can be found here, including mention of her song "Wonder" which is both on the soundtrack for and the inspiration of the movie "Wonder".

The Seen and the Unseen

I've reference MM here often. And this post in particular was poignant. I have so many wonderful memories of museums, nature centers and nature study during my childhood years. I was also blessed to live at the edge of 60 acres of woodlands and creeks, part of which my grandfather or PawPaw as we call him, rented to tend various animals and to plant large gardens. It was mine to roam. Mine to observe, to learn about and from nature in all it forms. It provided me a place and a way to learn to listen carefully to and understand the poetry of Robert Frost and find that others could express what I knew and felt but had not the words for. Above all, I was its child to teach about the seen and the unseen and how they both are the creation and expression, and a delight-filled gift, of a strong, loving Father.