Category: Autumn

First Morning

First Morning

by Kelly (of rituals) ♥ 0 Leave a Comment
Neringa pond, Kelly Salasin, 2015

a bird and a plane pass overhead
the Jay heading east
the jet streaming west
their flight, miles apart
reflected in the pond
at my feet

the water stilled by the absence of children
except for the silent fish, free to create
ever-expanding circles that remind me that I am here
to pray

with open palms,
pinkies touching,
i recite the once foreign but oddly familiar words that i have accidentally memorized from years of repetition~

Karagre vasate Lakshmi
Kara-madhye Saraswati
Kara-mule sthita Gauri
Prabhate kara-darshanam

funny that it is the English translation that always slips from memory, leaving behind only beginning and ending fragments~

On the tips of my fingers is…
…a vision of energy in my hands.

In between there are Goddesses.
Saraswati is the one devoted to eloquence and learning,
a fine companion to evoke on this first day of school,
as I begin, again, to find the writer, within.

Apology (to the house)

Apology (to the house)

by Kelly (of rituals) ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

100110-022

Now that summer has abandoned me for good,
and I’ve packed up the picnic baskets and the flip flops,

I surrender to hearth & home,
to cooking and cleaning and creating again,

To tackling all the clutter that crept up in the crevices of neglect while i languished
perfectly productive afternoons beside the pond.

Once resenting, now grateful
to the Cold, who

Tidies the land–the brush, the unmowed grass, the garden
and aligns Everything,

Even
the bare branches and the naked forest to the single aim of staying
Warm.

And finally grateful too,
like a matured child,
to this familiar House,

Whose weight I railed against each summer day,
longing to be free of the mundane

But now, as the days grow short,
and the nights grow long,
and the skies begins to flurry,

I toss aside my petulance,
embracing this steady companion
called home.

this october morning

this october morning

by Kelly (of rituals) ♥ 1 Comment

single-leaf-autumn-wall-inkbluesky

this october morning
is as tender
as a lover’s face;
as gentle
as a baby’s hand;
as lovely
as a mother’s kiss

this october morning
softens me into a child
dashing after a falling leaf
grasping it with glee

thinking myself an angel
breaking its fall

but i had cut short
its graceful decent,
its last dance,
its farewell song

i climb to the top of the stairs
in penance
  and release my capture
to the air…

in silent
surrender
of
youth.

child-parent-hands-love

 

 

The Annual Cider Press & PIE Sale: a Marlboro Tradition

The Annual Cider Press & PIE Sale: a Marlboro Tradition

by Kelly (of rituals) ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

UPDATED 2016

photoThe annual Cider Sale takes place this Columbus Day Weekend (Saturday, October 8th & 9th)  on the green at Marlboro North– at the junction of Route 9 & South Road in Marlboro, Vermont; right next door to Applewoods studio.  Look for the large white tents & families at work–pressing fresh cider as you watch!

Also for sale under the tents: Grafton Cheddar,  homemade apple pie, and other locally baked goods.  Enjoy a cup of hot mulled cider & a slice of homemade apple pie with a side of cheddar in the sit down “cafe” or take jugs of cider home with you for drinking or freezing. (Cider freezes well as long as you leave some space in the top of jug for expansion.) Whole pies for sale too!

The historic town of Marlboro sits just a few minutes west of Brattleboro and east of Wilmington, Vermont on the main thoroughfare across the state: Route 9 (aka. The Molly Stark Trail.)  The Cider Sale has been a Marlboro tradition for 35 years, raising funds for education. This year’s fundraiser benefits the Marlboro Elementary School Junior High Class with Spring 2015 their field studies in Costa Rica!

Who: Everyone! Locals, visitors, families, (even busses–with care to parking.)

What: Marlboro Annual Cider Sale: fresh pressed cider (while you watch), apple pies, cheddar cheese & more!

Where: On the green at Marlboro North, Route 9, Marlboro, VT, Next to Applewoods Studio.

When: Saturday & Sunday, October 8th & 9th, 9am-4pm.

Why: To benefit educational field study for students from Marlboro Elementary School.

How: Community powered!