All Souls and All Saints

My Catholic background is obvious. Today is all Saints day and tomorrow all souls day. All souls day we traditionally pray for those in purgatory.


Today I have felt as if I was caught in a purgatory of sorts and needed prayer! The sayin of and receiving of. Not feeling well...wanted to write...nothing came through my fingers. Fall...my favorite season - sometimes. I have so many fantastic memories. Raking and burning leaves, with children and once with my Dad in Woodstock Ct. Pots of stew simmering, bread in the oven; beans and fragrant biscuits baking for our sup; while we made the yard ready for winter. Cookies cooling on the counter as we took a long, chilly walk to watch the sun set; long, leisurely afternoons spent pond side witness to grand color. The crisp evenings spent by the fire. In my lack of word flow, I found a poem that someone else wrote. Virginia Eaton actually. I love it.

Leaf Burning

I swept the fallen leaves up yesterday

and touched them with slow fire;

and as I saw smoke rise and drift away

I knew a keen desire.

To sweep my mind of old things lying there,

dreams long since dead...

hopes that have clun like leaves on boughts now bare,

and thears that I have shed...

I long to gather every little grief

left scattered round,

small doubts and fears and lay them in a sheaf

on fire, smoke crowned

Then stir the embers so a wind might find

and life the ashes of old prasie or blame

and bear them far away, leaving my mind

clean as if swept with flame.