Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The Contents of My Pockets & Bowls & Jars & Soul

When fall arrives I become like a squirrel 
out gathering food for winter.  

In addition to craving all sorts of hearty, starchy foods, 
my soul and eyes and nose and hands also crave 
a good rich, earthy feast. 
Everywhere I go, I rather greedily stuff 
my pockets and bags with beauty.
The roadside, salt marsh, and sandy beach 
are among my favorite places to hunt & gather.
Once home, I spill my treasures
onto the table--the better to admire and plan.
I fill a wooden bowl with buttery-gold farmers market pears 
and a metal sap bucket with wild asters. 
These miniature, often temporary, collections serve as touchstones
around our house, places to rest the eye and let the mind wander 
before focusing again on paying bills or cooking dinner.  
I like to think they ground me, 
although to say that they distract me 
from what needs doing is probably much closer to the truth.  
This magpie will never be as practical 
as the clever, prudent squirrel.

22 comments:

  1. Oh I beg to differ, I think you give the clever squirrel a run for his/her 'nut'!

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  2. Beautiful photos, Love the compositions! Have a sweet day! x

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  3. Oh I wouldn't want this little magpie to change a bit.

    Your adorable Gigi,
    xoxo

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  4. What a wonderful collection of beautiful trasures ....and all free !!!! Is that a heart shaped pebble ? It's so pretty, Gigi. XXXX

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  5. Squirrel...that's been me at the moment too. Scurrying around gathering, collecting--it's a wonderful time just now! Such sweet treasures you're found, Gigi. The heart-shaped touchstone makes me smile so. Happy Days ((HUGS))

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  6. Gigi you can never have too many treasures, especially those from nature. Love the heart shaped stone! Leigh

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  7. You offer us a delightful reminder to take the time to look for the little treasures in life. Thank you.

    Sue

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  8. I think you and I were both squirrels in a past life ; ) I do a lot of gathering during the fall too, anticipating that all the interesting stones, flowers, pine cones, etc. are about to be hidden under snow and ice for months. I recently had the brilliant idea to try and dry out an enormous mushroom I found toppled in the woods. Unfortunately. I forgot about it for several days and it turned to smelly mush on the windowsill. I guess some things can't be kept!

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  9. ps: my word verification was "yopsided." Is that like lopsided?

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  10. wonderful photos and beautiful story...:)

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  11. And now the contents of your photo archives as well, which helps to crystallize your appreciation of them and distract you at a further and more abstract remove. Which is certainly no bad thing.

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  12. hmm... i think you could give those little squirrels, the what for! lol can we do this, along a walk one day? ...one day. : )

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  13. That is so much like Sloane. Every time we go outside she fills her pockets with treasures. we bring them home and decorate our windowsills with them.

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  14. That is possibly the most gorgeous pear that I've ever seen! Much to pretty to eat...

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  15. Such a perfect time of year to find treasure. My pockets are always full of acorns.

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  16. asters
    heart shaped rocks
    shells

    <3

    perfecto

    lovely tableaus, or still lifes. xoxo

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  17. so fine. what a post!! the photos of your treasures spread on linen and your poetry is divine.

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  18. the fabric holds such wild visual poetry in each frame ~ elk

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  19. Such fun compositions!....I fill my pockets on every walk too....xo

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  20. Gigi,

    Our couch is back, covered in that lovely Suess Marble. I'll post a picture soon.

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  21. oh dear, we would have quite a time on a walk, you and i ... spying the same 'glittery' object at the same time and stuffing our pockets full!
    is this how you came to name your blog 'the magpie's fancy'? i've always been meaning to ask and i think i see now ... just how these things tickle your fancy so ... you clever little magpie!
    the squirrel may be proficient but would he ever be as happy?
    smiling,
    prairiegirl xo

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