From Old Christmas by Washington Irving:
“There is something in the very season of the year that gives a charm to the festivity of Christmas. At other times we derive a great portion of our pleasures from the mere beauties of nature…. The song of the bird, the murmur of the stream, the breathing fragrance of spring, the soft voluptuousness of summer, the golden pomp of autumn; earth with its mantle of refreshing green, and heaven with its deep delicious blue and its cloudy magnificence, all fill us with mute but exquisite delight, and we revel in the luxury of mere sensation….
“But in the depth of winter… our thoughts are more concentrated; our friendly sympathies more aroused. We feel more sensibly the charm of each other’s society, and are brought more closely together by dependence on each other for enjoyment. Heart calleth unto heart; and we draw our pleasures from the deep wells of living kindness….”
From “Christmas Feeding Station” in Following their Star: Poems of Christmas and Nature by Maxwell Corydon Wheat:
bulbs of red, green, gold in the tree
tinsel, ribbons, a scarlet bow
The birds come anyway
white-breasted and red-breasted nuthatches
black-capped chickadees, white-throated sparrows
song sparrows with dark dashes and “stickpin” gold finches,
house finches awash with red
evening grosbeaks, yellow with bold white patches
jays in brillance of clear sky after snowfall
cardinals in cassocks and crests of scarlet
The birds are their own decorations
Excellent.
Thanks!
🙂
Nature decorates well!
Yes it does, thanks!
And it was a good reason to post some of the autumn color photos I hadn’t gotten to yet!
🙂