What’s more pleasurable
than a late Autumn walk in the wild
Chopin as companion, ballade cinematic
Tonal colors streamed through earbuds
Sight and sound in perfect harmony
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Stripped of adorning leaves,
the birches displayed their true essence.
Backbones strong against the wind,
Branches lifted to reach the remaining sun
Stoic elegance intertwined Romanze Larghetto
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And then we met,
A surprise encounter, a momentary start,
Among the low bushes a deer, antlers majestic,
Eyes darted up from his quiet meal,
Weighing my next move.
I walked past without stopping.
It’s not polite to stare,
especially when someone’s eating.
His gaze held me a moment, then let me pass.
I sensed a mutual respect, nature shared.
And so we parted, unperturbed,
after just a split second of cautious exchange,
leaving each other feeding freely,
foliage in his mouth,
and Chopin in my ears.
***
This is what I was listening to… Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1, Second Movement, Romanze Larghetto.
Ripple Effects 
Elegant… I really enjoyed this. Thank you! I thought I was the only one!
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Thank you Michelle for your kind words. They mean a lot from an artist and painter!
Arti
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Wish I were there….following your footsteps, taking in the late autumn foliage, soaking in the sun and listening to Chopin.
I can only dream…..
Greetings from Hong Kong!
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Molly Mavis,
Not an impossible dream though… yes, the big sky and crisp fall air can be stimulating and the scenery inspiring. I’m sure you recognize Yundi Li (李雲迪) the youngest winner of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, at 18. I saw a doc. on him touring HK, mobbed by young fans.
Arti
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Beautiful. I think I need a Fall walk! :0)
Ellen,
It’s interesting to see your Autumn walk on your blog! Beautiful trees you have over there.
Arti
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Lovely. The words and photos connected beautifully. That perfect moment of “mutual respect, nature shared.”
Sadly, I could not connect the music; it only ran in fits and starts (as I get this alot from YouTube, I suspect it to be something in my computer–but what???). So will have to find it & listen & appreciate all the more.
You are quite the poet, Arti! Thank you.
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ds,
Try this: Click ‘Play’ to start playing the clip, then quickly click Pause to allow it to load (you can see the grey bar filling up) before you click ‘Play’ again. In this way, you won’t get the intermittent stops. I think that may be what you were experiencing.
Hope you can listen to the music… my words are nothing compared to the natural and musical creation I was enjoying.
Arti
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So beautiful – the combination of words and images, and so well laid out upon the page.
I chose not to listen to the music, just as I prefer silence when I’m in the woods myself. There is so much to hear that even the most gorgeous musical composition covers up. Your words deserved to be uncovered, too.
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Linda,
Like you, I’ve always enjoyed listening to Nature’s sound and silence. This is a rare occasion when I listen to music while walking… that’s why it impacted me so much, almost like I was in a movie. It’s a fresh sensation for me to experience so intimately the quiet fusion of music and natural beauty.
Arti
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Beautiful! I felt I was right there on that walk with you. Thank you for sharing your passion and artistry
Kathy Pooler
http://krpooler.wordpress.com
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Kathy,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your kind words.
Arti
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Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos!
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Lady Di,
Be sure to take a walk in the wild next time you’re here!
A.
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Oh my god! I got sudden chills when I read the lines:
leaving each other feeding freely,
foliage in his mouth,
and Chopin in my ears.
That is a perfect ending to this beautiful snapshot of your walk. There are times like this that are more rapturous than anything. They say music gives greater ecstasy than sex, you know. And to experience it while out in that beautiful autumn, and then to meet a fellow creature walking the world, well it just can’t get much better than that. I’m listening to Chopin as I write, so lovely (and making me think of my mother again).
Once in Oregon, where I lived one semester in 1976, we were hiking the Pacific Crest Trail for 5 days. One day I was out in front, who knows how far away all my fellow hikers were. I came around a bend in the trail and there was a moose just 20 feet away. We stared at each other (I didn’t even know how I’d get past him). At last he bounded into the forest, and of course that sounded like all the trees were crashing down. I will never forget it.
Thank you for this beautiful reverie this Sunday morning.
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Ruth,
Agree with you there in your first paragraph! And your experience of the moose encounter is exactly how I felt here… even though it was smaller than a moose, the deer was a fair size and his antlers were grand… he could have charged me 😉 I’ve seen deer before in that vicinity. But it’s certainly a different feeling when you come across them unexpectedly. It was a joy indeed.
Arti
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What a lovely walk you give us with the arts teaming up to make nature even more heightened! Music, poetry and best of all, the deer encounter. I’m with Ruth – those last two lines made everything fall into place and the circle complete to create sigh-ful imagery.
Love the artful teamwork.
And there’s always something about seeing a deer and then walking on by having had that glimpse, that moment.
As for Chopin, he is such a Sunday composer and grew up with him playing background to our huge family dinners.
thanks, A!
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oh,
Thanks for your kind words. I’m glad my post has stirred some ripples and resonance in you. Chopin’s compositions are indeed music for all seasons and occasions!
Arti
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Arti,
I did go back and listen to the music, but discovered I couldn’t read the poem and listen at the same time. Now that I think of it, I realize I never read or write with music on. It’s as though I can do one or the other, but not both.
I’ve known this about myself for years, but not really known it… not thought about it. I can clean house to music, or process photographs, or file papers – but no reading, no writing. Very strange 😉
Anyway – the music is beautiful!
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Linda,
LOL… that happens to me when I’m reading something intense or demanding, but my post is nothing close to that. Anyway, when you’re walking and simply soaking in the fall scenery, I’m sure you can do both. 😉
Arti
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Lovely words (and images) Arti. Sorry I’ve only got to this now. I was in Hong Kong (as you know) when you wrote this, and since being back have been away two more times (short Australian trips). I’m now catching up on blogs. I laughed at the lines “It’s not polite to stare/especially when someone’s eating”!
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whisperinggums,
I’m glad I had the chance to take that walk. Now only 2 weeks later we’re getting our first snow storm of this winter, or is it still fall? No kidding. Piles of snow I’d to shovel today in minus 12C temperature! I was just thinking about all the deer…
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