per·i·pa·tet·ic
ˌperēpəˈtedik/
adjective
  1. 1.
    traveling from place to place, especially working or based in various places for relatively short periods.
    "the peripatetic nature of military life"
    synonyms:nomadic, itinerant, traveling, wandering, roving, roaming, migrant,migratory, unsettled
    "I could never get used to her peripatetic lifestyle"
  2. 2.
    Aristotelian.
noun
  1. 1.
    a person who travels from place to place.
  2. 2.
    an Aristotelian philosopher.

Friday, February 26, 2010

'Beggar to Beggar Cried': After Thirty Years of Give and Take? MOTS!


'Time to put off the world and go somewhere
And find my health again in the sea air,'
Beggar to beggar cried, being frenzy-struck,
'And make my soul before my pate is bare...'




Thirty years have come and gone, and Secret Aging Man said he's ready to try for another thirty, as long as I am. Okay, but promise me we will always take long walks together. This one happened earlier this week in Gulf Breeze at Shoreline Park South.


'And get a comfortable wife and house
To rid me of the devil in my shoes,'
Beggar to beggar cried, being frenzy-struck,
'And the worse devil that is between my thighs.'

Daughter went along for the walk and spotted this mushroom-and-child before I did. I guess I was too engrossed in the man by my side to notice.
















'And though I'd marry with a comely lass,
She need not be too comely--let it pass,'
Beggar to beggar cried, being frenzy-struck,
'But there's a devil in a looking-glass.'



'Nor should she be too rich, because the rich
Are driven by wealth as beggars by the itch,'
Beggar to beggar cried, being frenzy-struck,
'And cannot have a humorous happy speech.'

Buildings by the score have sprung up along Pensacola Beach in the last several years and continue to do so, as you can see by the presence of that massive crane. More and more high-rise behemoths now obscure whatever view of the Gulf the residents of Gulf Breeze might have had in years past--and maybe even some of that famous Breeze. Their solid, dearly-paid-for presence replaces those shifting sand dunes that once formed a barrier between the Gulf and the Sound. Some people might argue that it's better to rely on the protection of these new barriers along the horizon that are fixed in place, anchored to the bedrock by beams of steel and pillars of concrete. What do you think?


'And there I'll grow respected at my ease,
And hear amid the garden's nightly peace,'
Beggar to beggar cried, being frenzy-struck,
'The wind-blown clamour of the barnacle-geese.'

A poem, this one by W. B. Yeats, shared with you by two beggars. (And I do mean beggars. I put myself at the mercy of the copyright holder by sharing it here on the blog. It's not in the public domain yet so I hope I'm not in trouble here. I do tend to invite it, though. Can we say the poem has been shared for scholarly purposes?) I don't pretend to understand it fully, anymore than I understand how a shifting-sand-dune, give-and-take marriage can last for thirty years in this day and age. All I know is that I want More of the Same.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

NN/SOTS: Golden Age, Spring Anew?

Then sprang up first the golden age, which of itself maintained
The truth and right of everything unforced and unconstrained.
There was no fear of punishment, there was no threatening law
In brazen tables nailed up, to keep the folk in awe.
There was no man would crouch or creep to judge with cap in hand,
They lived safe without a judge, in every realm and land.
The lofty pine tree was not hewn from mountains where it stood,
In seeking strange and foreign lands, to rove upon the flood...

Men knew none other countries yet than where themselves did keep;
There was no town enclosed yet, with walls and ditches deep.
No horn nor trumpet was in use, no sword nor helmet worn;
The world was such that soldiers' help might eas'ly be forborne...

The fertile earth as yet was free, untouched of spade or plow,
And yet it yielded of itself of every things enow.
And men themselves contented well with plain and simple food
That on the earth of nature's gift without their travail stood...

Did live by raspes, hips, and haws, by cornels, plums, and cherries,
By sloes and apples, nuts and pears, and loathsome bramble berries...



And by the acorns dropped on ground from Jove's broad tree in field.
The springtime lasted all the year, and Zephyr with his mild
And gentle blast did cherish things that grew of own accord;
The ground untilled all kinds of fruits did plenteously afford...



These three photos (church, lake, and crabapple tree) were taken at Lake Ella Park in Tallahassee in late January.









No muck nor tillage was bestowed on lean and barren land,
To make the corn of better head and ranker for to stand...


Then streams ran milk, then streams ran wine, and yellow honey flowed
From each green tree whereon the rays of fiery Phoebus glowed.




Trillium erectum

Found in Lafayette Heritage Trail Park, Tallahassee, January 2010. Picture of stream also taken there. First three photos are from Fort Pickens, Pensacola, Florida, late January.






The poetry I paired with the pictures above came from Arthur Golding's translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, which he completed in 1567. Shakespeare was partial to Golding's Ovid, and his references to the classic myths in his own work reflect that fondness for Golding's English version. Even the Elizabethans, it seems, yearned for that same elusive Elysium we look for today--in our diets, our environments, our families, our governments, our world. Will we ever find it? Or, more importantly, would we be satisfied with it if we did?

Please visit Ramblingwoods.com for more links to her Nature Notes/Signs of the Season post this week.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Playing It to the Hilt Whilst Over the Top










Winter '89-'90,
Lake St. Louis, MO






A newfound blogging friend, Ann, has given me an award for my blog being Over the Top. (Thanks, Ann! It's my first award, and I intend to make the most of it.) Now, I've always thought that particular idiom meant something like extraordinary, ridiculous, or outrageous. It does, moreover, have its origins in World War I trench warfare terminology. When soldiers were ordered to leave the relative safety of their trenches and venture out into the open, perhaps into harm's way, they were going, literally, Over the Top. It's easy to see that my life experiences have been anything but entrenched with SAM as my partner.




Here are my one-word answers--as required, but not fair!--to The Questions:

Your Cell Phone? Ancient.
Your Hair? Graying.
Your Mother? Efficient.
Your Father? Missed.
Your Favorite Food? Mom's.
Your Dream Last Night? Forgotten.
Your Favorite Drink? Wine.
Your Dream/Goal? Teaching.
What Room Are You In? Living.
Your Hobby? Gardening.
Your Fear? Heights.
Where Do You See Yourself In Six Years? Classroom.
Where Were You Last Night? Here.
Something That You Aren't? Male.
Muffins? Yes!
Wish List Item? Plants.
Where Did You Grow Up? Everywheredaddyworked.
Last Thing You Did? Scratched.
What Are You Wearing? Jeans.
Your TV? Flat.
Your Pets? Peanut.
Friends? Many.
Your Life? Exciting!
Your Mood? Romantic!
Missing Someone? Yes.
Vehicle? Honda.
Something You Aren't Wearing? Perfume.
Your Favorite Store? YoungLiving.com.
Your Favorite Color? Aquamarine.
When Was The Last Time You Laughed? Now.
Last Time You Cried? Sunday.
Your Best Friend? SAM!
One Place You Go To Over and Over Again? Past.
Facebook? No!
Favorite Place To Eat? Home. 

As instructed, I give this award to five, fine people who might like this sort of thing. I didn't think I would at first, but I've changed my mind. Hey, I'm not male, remember? 



Note: Just because I didn't list more than five people doesn't mean that any one of you blogger friends out there is undeserving of this award. Julie gave the award as a warm blanket to all of her friends, which is something I'm also doing right now. So, please feel free to grab the award and participate! I hope you do...

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Happy Birthday, Secret Aging Man!


An Ode to the "Old-But-Young-At-Heart" Chap
from Daughter (photos c.1994)

You're a jolly good fellow, Daddy-O!!
You deserve the best
Oh, don't you know?
You may think your life
Has been misspent,
But there you're wrong.
You did your best,
And with good intent.
Don't let the past be a bully
Who taunts and beats at you.
But, instead, stand up for yourself--
You're still strong at 52!
I want you to know
How proud I am
Of who you are
And what you've done!
You haven't lost anything at all--
You've already won!
You have a family
That loves you
And a God who provides.
We're the rocks
That stand firm with you
Even in the highest of tides.
So, just remember,
You're admired and loved
More than you know.
You may be old,
But you're young at heart...
As the "old" saying goes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY-O!!
I LOVE YOU!!!!
NOW CHEER UP, YOU OLE COOT!!!!

Disclaimer: Let it be known that Walk2Write is neither responsible nor liable for the content of this post or the opinions expressed therein.