Anisette Studio

Inside the Stone by Kate Barnes. Where the Deer Live.

Up in the woods,

in the circle among the beech trees,

last winter one of the lumber horses split a stone

horizontally, with a clip of his big steel shoe.

It had seemed to be a plain gray stone,

but when it was opened a black wall appeared

rusty at the edges, flecked with pale checks

like unknown constellations, and over all

floated wisps of blue gray, trailing feathers of clouds.

I brush away the fallen leaves

and stare into the distance inside the stone.

If one cloud become a bird___

if one could fly into the night___

if one could see the circling of those stars___

and then the woods became very still,

the beech leaves blur at the edge of my vision.

I find I am bending lower and lower.

Thoughts for the day: It’s been a while since I have read some poetry. I see poems as puzzles to explore and understand.

I am noticing that as I get more of the cottage “done”, meaning things having a place that there is an undercurrent running through my mind. Not unlike when you put on an art exhibition, and when it’s over there is this sense of now what? The next thought is but I am not done at all! There is a lot more I can do! I am a little confused by this train of thought. Today I pivoted to another thought. I am wondering if what this truly is, is that once things are “done” making my cottage my home, and a studio___ that this means I am indeed stepping into my new life.

I came out of the bedroom and taking in the studio and kitchen area, saw with new eyes what I have accomplished so far. I liked what I saw. But noticed a sense of sadness. Not wanting to this sense to become a trigger I found coffee and began my blog. I like the fact that even when a thought comes my way, and the senses recall I am not falling into stacking up pros and cons about what I think and feel, an old habit. I am not wasting my time like I did earlier in life by getting caught up in that stacking of pros and cons. I like this part of getting older, being wiser. I am loving who I am becoming. And I think its ok to feel sadness, there is much happiness within my life. I only need to embrace it.

Best wishes! Pejj Nunes