Monday, October 6, 2008

Stargazers

A few nights ago, Sean had gone out and it was just us girls. We were doing the usual evening stuff which includes me trying to clean and tidy around Brooklyn and Rosie while they have one last swim in the imaginative pool, journey through the imaginative forest, class at the imaginative ballet school, ride on the imaginative pony, well, you get the idea. So I was focused on the never-ending mess when Brooklyn came and asked if we could go outside to look at the stars. It was getting really close to bedtime and stuff was everywhere. There were many reasons to say "no" to such a request. I mean, I even have the "it's a school night" excuse to pull out when needed, but the front door was open and I felt this perfect autumn breeze and before I knew it, I was saying "sure" and heading down the front steps.
We all laid on our backs and looked up at the prettiest sky full of stars I have seen in a long time. We talked about stars and constellations and our favourite star. Rosie suggested that we count them. We got to twenty and abandoned that plan. We laughed and snuggled, basking in the stillness of our street, the vastness of the universe and the treasure of moments exactly like this one.
Finally, it got a bit chilly on the grass so we came in and got ready for bed. As I was tucking Brook and Rosie in, before we thanked God for the stars, I thanked them for stargazing with me.
~Mandy

3 comments:

Paul/Dad/Pops said...

The Starlight Night by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Look at the stars! look, look up at the skies!
O look at all the fire-folk sitting in the air!
The bright boroughs, the circle-citadels there!
Down in dim woods the diamond delves! the elves'-eyes!
The grey lawns cold where gold, where quickgold lies!
Wind-beat whitebeam! airy abeles set on a flare!
Flake-doves sent floating forth at a farmyard scare!—
Ah well! it is all a purchase, all is a prize.
Buy then! bid then!—What?—Prayer, patience, aims, vows.
Look, look: a May-mess, like on orchard boughs!
Look! March-bloom, like on mealed-with-yellow sallows!
These are indeed the barn; withindoors house
The shocks. This piece-bright paling shuts the spouse
Christ home, Christ and his mother and all his hallows.

Paul/Dad/Pops said...

Under the Stars (paraphrased with apologies to Raymond A. Foss)

Laying back with mom and sis
out in the middle of the lawn
southern Saskatchewan
September, maybe October
more than a few nights ago
a magical pure moment in time
gazing at the pallet of the sky,
the arc of the dome
separating the sky from the void beyond
a shape to it, even my mind could comprehend
grasp the enormity of the universe
a million stars or more lit for me to see
to experience this now
a few nights ago
on a lawn
under the stars

ama and bops said...

I love those "I'm part of something so much bigger" moments. They take your breath away and make words impossible and unnecessary. Ama and Bops xx