 |
| photo by Anita Schiller |
Thrust in the sickle;
the land is rich, and
the fruit thereof is sweet.
The labor of love
has been performed;
the cycle is complete.
Thrust in the sickle,
though youth has gone
and strength is on the wane.
The vineyard calls; its
master knows the joy
that hides in pain.
This is a photograph taken by Anita Schiller in Tuscany and is part of a project we collaborated on several years ago. She asked me, at the time, to respond in poetic form to the photographs she had collected for publication in an art book entitled "His Children." I did so, and while this copy is not very good due to the inadequacies of my scanner, the man's age and my awareness (from a different photo) of his gnarled fingers as he set about his labors reminded me that living well doesn't necessarily mean being free from the toils and troubles of life. Surely we must know the bitter to taste the sweet.
I liked the image evoked by "thrusting in the sickle," because it works not just for this vineyard, but for life. The cycle goes on, and no matter what the season, we are happiest when fully engaged.
for more V posts, click below
12 comments:
I am off to France next week and this has put me in the mood thank you
I love that book (your Mom sent me a copy) and the pic fits perfectly with the poem. Thanks for sharing today!
Yes, so beautiful!
The images and verse are perfectly matched - congratulations, Sue!
PS Thanks for the visit. If you do decide to get ‘Retribution’ on Amazon.com, do let me know if the photos in my linked post help with “being there” in the drama and seeing things through the characters’ eyes!
I agree that we tend to be happiest when fully engaged. As for your poetry, I marvel at how well you say so much with so few words.
Beautiful poem, I live surrounded by vineyards and harvest this year has been the triple normal!
Very insightful and creative poem and great photo to accompany it ~ thanks, carol ^_^
the joy that hides in pain....ther eis a joy that comes in laboring...not just the harvest but knowing you are a part of it. smiles
hope you are well sue
And you know how much I love that book, "His Children." I've found inspiration in so many of those poems and images, and this one is no exception. Yes, it's good to be busy, and even better when it's helping someone. Helps me ignore the aches!
what a lovely collaboration of photo and poem!
The photo reminds my of my grandfather who worked in the California vineyards and farms way up into his 70s and early 80s.
Great post Sue!
It is true that we are happiness when we are fully engaged in the work. I love the picture and poem; just perfect.
Of course the book "His Children" to me is priceless. You are one in a trillion when it comes to writing poetry. Thank you for sharing this gift.
Blessings and hugs!
Post a Comment