Category Archives: Odes to Common Things

Peonies: The Floozies of the Garden

Posted on June 21, 2012 by

I read somewhere that peonies are often referred to as “the floozies of the garden” because of their scene-stealing beauty. These images, captured at blossoms’ peak, are on my desktop, so I can refer to them over and over again … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature • Animals, Odes to Common Things, Smallpeace | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Barn Red and Apple Blossom Pink

In our town and for miles all around, farmers long ago cleared away fallen trees and wrested out boulders from the soil to plant acres upon acres of apple trees. This was their legacy to their children and their children’s … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on June 8, 2012 by | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ode to Rough Mornings

Rough morning I do not have to be happy. I do not have to skip on tippy toes for all eight blocks to the subway, whistling. I only have to get from point A to point B with eyes pried … Continue reading →

Aside | Posted on April 4, 2012 by | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Ode to a Daffodil

Posted on March 16, 2012 by

So I am climbing up and up the park stairs to City campus one Monday evening when I pass a bed of golden daffodils laughing.  “Spring is coming, spring is coming,” they gaily prattle as their many-pointed heads jiggle and … Continue reading →

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Ode to Transformation

Posted on December 2, 2011 by

I have always taken a quiet comfort in the changing of the seasons. Even in times of deep despair, there is hope in the certainty that the landscape, now slipping into its winter torpor, will one day reawaken. There is … Continue reading →

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Ode to a Lord and His Lady Love

Posted on October 13, 2011 by

It was 2:18 on a Sunday afternoon and the wedding was set to commence at 2:30 pm. Crap! It would have helped if we’d been a little more familiar with the environs of Poughkeepsie (New York, that is), only we … Continue reading →

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Time and Nine Wait for No One

Posted on September 8, 2011 by

We arrived in the gloaming, half hoping for a shout of recognition or perhaps a few cuddles… Though we immediately knew from the way they stood conspiring in the distance that there would be none. They were already lost in … Continue reading →

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Ode to Soft Days and E.E. Cummings

Posted on August 10, 2011 by

This past Saturday was what the Irish affectionately call a “soft day,” one in which the rain arrives early in the form of a gentle mist, and remains longer than expected, soaking the landscape. On days like this, it’s easy … Continue reading →

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Ode to Early Risers

Posted on July 6, 2011 by

I have never been a particularly early (or cheerful) riser, but lately, our life at Smallpeace has inspired me to rethink old habits. Here, dawn comes on like a light switch, with choirs of insects, farm animals, and songbirds singing … Continue reading →

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Ode to Dermacentor Variabilis

Posted on May 25, 2011 by

Little tick on my arm your pinch and the oriole signal it’s springtime. Wood tick on my arm your bite and the peeper frogs celebrate summer. Vicious tick on my arm. Birds hunting nicer bugs— your mouth still sucking. To … Continue reading →

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