what's good, welcoming september
A poem, some art, and warming the heart
In poetry: Ursula K. Le Guin is generally known as a science fiction & fantasy writer but she also provided literary reviews + criticism, children’s books, some marvelous map drawings, and poetry, including this end-of-summer beauty. The continuous alliteration gives me shivers, and soothes my heart like today’s long-awaited showers. Go, “be fellow”…
To the Rain by Ursula K. Le Guin Mother rain, manifold, measureless, falling on fallow, on field and forest, on house-roof, low hovel, high tower, downwelling waters all-washing, wider than cities, softer than sisterhood, vaster than countrysides, calming, recalling: return to us, teaching our troubled souls in your ceaseless descent to fall, to be fellow, to feel to the root, to sink in, to heal, to sweeten the sea.
In art: My husband is at Western Washington University this week and during a break took some photos of sculptures he found around campus. Be still my nerdy museum docent heart; I love that he was thinking about how I would enjoy seeing them, and he even went back later to find the didactic for me so I could look up the artist. Please delight in the thoughtful whimsy of these characters that Tom Otterness incorporated into the landscaping at WWU’s Haskell Plaza.
In movies: Our favorite local independent theater participated in National Cinema Day last week so we went to check out this true[ish] tale of an Englishman who took on the banking system in order to help his neighbors. To be completely honest, I was mainly going for the $4 tickets, Rory Kinnear, and Def Leppard but it really is a wholly charming story of a community coming together, with lots of good ‘80s rock (some sung with awesome forte by Kinnear himself) and strong performances by other familiar faces from Game of Thrones, Bridgerton, and Downton Abbey.
Be sure to look for opportunities this week “to feel to the root…sweeten the sea” like the rain & artistic feats of strength & Dave; we need you out there.
Truly delightful sculptures (and what a sweet hubby you have) - but that poem, oof, I am wanting to feel that rain!! Thanks for sharing that, that's one to re-read and take to heart!