If winter had a song it would be deep and slow.
A song that gets carried around in coat pockets,
slowly warming cold fingers.
A lone violin, a methodical drum.
Music that gives pause and time for reflection.
A song with the sounds of muffled whispers, crunching footsteps
and grainy long grey shadows.
A solo tune that echoes into the dark night
music that is slowly swayed to in colourful knitted socked feet,
and listened to on plump fluffed up blankets.
And just like that summer was gone.
No drawn out goodbyes, and long lingering looks back.
The windows are now lowered as the cooler dusk air sneaks in.
A quiet goodbye to the carefree summer bare-feet,
next summer those same small bare-feet will be bigger.
The warm early morning starts that have you throwing open back doors,
the kitchen air still thick from the heat of the day before.
So long summer, with your long golden lit afternoons,
and to the melodic cicadas singing their songs.
Farewell to the invitingly warm sea pools,
with their noisy jostling swimmers.
The pools once more reclaimed,
by those that don’t fear the sharp coolness of the water.
Until next time summer,
so long.
It’s been cold here the last few days. Not Hobart cold, not Melbourne cold, not Dusseldorf cold and not Lapland cold… but Sydney cold. Cold enough for people to walk a bit quicker. For the Monkeys to make hot breath drawings and cold enough for me to want to keep frantically crocheting something warming and useful.
It took me 32 years to work out that if it’s cold, I should dress warmly. Crazy huh? (not just by wearing jeans that are long enough.)
Why had it taken so long for me to work out and why did it take an ayurvedic consultant to point that one out to me?
I have no idea. But, I’m happy to report that since that fateful day, I have tried to dress appropriately and not looked back.
Winter now sees looped scarves, warm thick socks and sensible layers. Not that I was ever one to zip about in mini skirts and high heels in the middle of winter. I did though, regularly wear just one up from summer clothing, and wondered why I didn’t like the cold so much. The cold is only miserable, if you are cold. Once again, crazy isn’t it?
Dressing appropriately in a cold environment lets you in on a whole different world. For one, I can now actually see the world, rather than hunched over, staring at my feet, trying to generate some warm thoughts down to my frozen toes.
Thankfully I’d already cottoned on to the the fact that if you dressed appropriately in rainy weather, that also was enjoyable…and that only took me 25 years to work that one out.
The cooler air, the different light, the crispness on your cheeks.
Autumn is certainly here now and with it everything seems to be deeply exhaling.
A gentle sigh.
Not the sticky wet heat that was summer.
A chance to stop and look at things with an alertness that I haven’t felt for months.
A soft breeze from far away mountain tops, stop me…
Tilting my head towards it, I embrace it and let it fill my soul.
Autumn brings promise.
A promise of creativity, warming foods, cradled mugs, looped scarves, and long exploring walks holding soft little hands.
Hands that one day will shake mine off in embarrassment.
So I’m savouring every second.
cityhippyfarmgirl 