Friday, June 4, 2010

The sky was white.



I walked home beneath a stark white sky. Solid white. Not one hint of grey or blue. One dark bird, his wings stretched far and wide, flying high up against the white distance. The air rippled slowly. The leaves swayed.

Standing near the stove, having just set a pot of water to boil, I looked over at the small white vase and platter I'd constructed with my own two hands. I hadn't realized how beautiful they were when I'd made them. I'd given away or sold so many pieces, believing at the time that my making would go on forever. It hadn't.

Removing the pot from the heat, sliding the soybeans into the colander, and running cool water over them. Quietly pinching the slick little beans out of each fuzzy pod and into the bowl. I noticed, everything.

16 comments:

  1. what a gorgeous and thoughtful write

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good Morning sweet friend!!!
    I'm not sure I've ever seen a 'stark white sky', but having read your lovely post, I can visualize!!!

    I "stop by your apartment" often, suppose I should leave more notes?!? LOL!! I miss ya girl!!

    Is that a picture of your apartment?

    ReplyDelete
  3. i always feel a little unsettled when the sky is that white.
    beauteous writing as always... love the last line.

    ReplyDelete
  4. white!
    there is a new light in your blog?
    every things is more bright, and also the grafic too.
    white.
    i like this.
    a little japan touch.
    have a good day,
    tiziana

    ReplyDelete
  5. Char, Thank you.

    Jackie, I'd never seen a sky like this one. It looked like a giant bar of soap overhead, no cloud outlines or any depth. It was amazing. I love that you stop by. No, not my apartment, just a building I saw on a walk. I found it intriguing, the sad and washed out structure with those bright red little geraniums.

    Tumbleweed Woman, There was something unsettling about it. It almost seemed artificial.

    t, I'm always toying with the color on my blog. I thought these shifts in color and font fit this post. I'm glad that you noticed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. There is such thoughtful silence here - like the white has taken over and made everything slightly muffled for us to see everything in a slightly different... well, light. I love your writing, Denise. But of course you know that. Beautiful, beautiful. Thank you.

    xoox,
    -maria

    ps: I'm glad you can appreciate your beautiful work - I sure do every time I use your little bowl. Thank you for that too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your photo is the perfect accompaniment to these lovely words. The white space is so serene.

    ReplyDelete
  8. this white sky makes me feel so cold...I can't wait for our summer in september and ocotber :)
    love your writing :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. noticing everything now and at the end of the day, i hope to write something just as beautiful and thought provoking. thanks, Denise.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love a white sky. I usually give away my knitted socks...maybe I should have kept some because now I don't have time to knit any.

    ReplyDelete
  11. stark beauty, some things are muffled out, others become so clear.

    love how you incorporated the whole sense on your page.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I adore the simple hushed moments when things are realized and somehow hit home a lot more. I feel as though I've been running around busy busy so much lately and then in the early hours this morning I sat on the couch and just stared out the window thinking. What a calm it brought. Your words are wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  13. White skies are strange aren't they? Your wonderful writing captures everything you notice and if I close my eyes, I can see the wings of that black bird. The tiny splash of red in your photo is wonderful too. I love it when you feel in tune with your surroundings, that every little thing counts.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Brilliant. we don't look and notice enough do we?

    ReplyDelete
  15. oh, i love how you captured the white san francisco sky, and the dark bird and the rippling too. happy thoughts to you...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Maria, I'm smiling, big. Thank you.

    Jessica, Thanks.

    M. The sky is blue today, but I'm watching the wind whip the leaves of the tree outside my window.

    Melissa, I hope your writing went well.

    Raina, I have to try making some socks. It's funny, my first thought was that they'd be for Chris.

    Nancy, Thanks. It's good to know that people still visit the actual pages and don't just stick within their RSS feed.

    alexandria, I can tell by your photography that you appreciate the special hushed moments. Sometimes it seems those quiet moments to simply sit and reflect are too few.

    Vanessa, White skies can feel strange. Sometimes haunting, sometimes beautiful, sometimes both. Feeling in tune is a good thing, usually, assuming the surroundings are good.

    Kath, I try to look and notice, but there is always room for improvement.

    Thanks, Katrina. Happy thoughts to you too.

    ReplyDelete