Rock of Ages- My Playdate with Kathy, Dawn and You
Peep over at Mary Oliver’s poem “Praying” before you read this please.
“…a few small stones: just pay attention, then patch a few words together…”
This is the patching.
Thank you Mary.
I love stones. I worked long ago on the shores of Lake Superior and by the end of those summers; I would have more poundage of stones than dirty laundry or mosquito bites. My Mom would chide me for driving stones around the country as I moved from Escanaba, to Houston, to Marquette, to Louisville, to Chicago, to Louisville again, then New York City. Now in the stony Berkshires I have plenty to keep me company, though I must admit to collecting stones from wherever I travel. The first time I stood next to my husband in a Jewish cemetery, I saw all the headstones decorated with handfuls of small rocks. I realized then what I have been doing carrying stones around with me from home to home. I am remembering where I have come from and that I too, carry the love of that former place to this new place. On and on, I move small piles of memories held in stones.
When you stand on the shores of Superior, or the Atlantic or probably any large body of water, there are times when the surf moves sheets of stones in the waves and the sound is like no other. The texture of the minerals rubbing against each other, becoming sand eventually, grinding away with the action of wind and water, it is quite a sound. Is it the sound of the sands of time perhaps?
My Moon Circle is about to hold our Summer Solstice Sweat Lodge. Yeah, we can be witchy with ritual. We bring rocks to the fire that are imbued with our intentions, honor and desires. We construct a framework of logs to hold the rocks in the 4 directions. Then, when the rocks have withstood an enormous fire, my fire tending Lydi and I rake them in to the sweat lodge to gather their heat in to our bodies and their wisdom in to our souls. Some of the rocks split open and shower orange crystal sparkles. Some reveal their insides that have long forgotten the yellow glare of the sun or the wet of rain; they reveal their insides to us in those moments. Time exposure.
The rocks I found yesterday are what I see nearly every day. I walked to the river with Lydi early to swim and see what we could see. Then at 12:30 I headed out to the yard. I realized the stones that surround my house are ones that I have chosen during my travels and brought home. Costa Rican green stones, Mediterranean white, the pinks and grays of the Cape and of course, my beloved Lake Superior stones.
When we go home in the summer to visit my parents, I allow myself to buy 3 or 4 knobs made with Superior stones. A man who sails on the ore boats makes them. Our kitchen cupboards are slowly becoming like the stony beach at Big Bay. I strew stones on my altar among the chickens and art.
Please don’t tell Danny about this collection of flat stones. When our boys were little, oh, about 12 years ago, our families were on the Cape together. Danny and I stood on the shore of Wellfleet Bay and skipped rocks at low tide on to the silvery gray ocean surface until our shoulders were sore. We talked the whole time. I don’t think we have had that much time to just talk since that afternoon. He will have his 50th birthday some year soon and I intend to give him a box of rocks that we can haul to some shore and catch up on our talking. These rocks are from all over the world. Don’t they look like they will fit into his big hands perfectly?
I know this is one honking big blog post. The blog police will be out to get me. But I am armed with stones, not ones with which to fill my pockets and drown nor to slay Goliath, just the ones to remind me of all the places I have loved all over this fine planet.
You can see a slide show of these stones on my Flickr page. Just click over one of the photos above. I cannot get this page to link to Kathy’s but if you would be so kind as to go over to my blog roll and link to ‘Kathy in the north woods’ you will see her gorgeous post titled “Simply Stones”.
Love, S
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May 27th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
“Doorway into Thanks”… sounds like a gorgeous poetry gratitude website or community waiting to happen.
I have a stone I found in Blackpool, England, in a hard time, that I rubbed and held and wet with my tears for months. It sits by my desk now, quietly holding space for me.
I love your doorknobs and the plan to catch up on talking over gathered stones. Now I want to go swimming with you and run our toes over smooth stones while we bob in the sunlight.
May 27th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Suzi – What a wonderful post (on a number of levels): The photographs, the words, the stories behind the words, and most beautiful of all, the intent of your heart that serves as a lodge pole to hold it all up.
Here is a link to Kathy’s post, Simply Stones:
http://upwoods.wordpress.com/2010/05/26/simply-stones/
Laurie Buchanan
http://holessence.wordpress.com/
May 27th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
I will swim with you, Tex, anytime. And the “Doorway to Thanks”- you are brimming with readiness girl. I will follow you anywhere. Love, S
May 27th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Thank you Laurie! I am so glad you stopped in here for a breeze! I look forward to enjoying your posts. What a beautiful site you have! Love, S
May 27th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
First of all, Ms. Suzi–if the blog police are going to get you for this SHORT blog then I’m already in JAIL!!!
I loved your blog; your stories of rocks. Loved the door handles, the fact that you have a sweat lodge coming up, the incredible words of the Mary Oliver poem. That woman rocks.
So glad you suggested this assignment and that you contributed such a beauty unto the blog-land.
May 27th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Now I can go to bed, now that you’ve been here Kath. Hope you and all the robins sleep well tonight. I swam in the sunset. Our mountain pond is unseasonably warm this year- delicious to be in the water at dusk with a group of whooping women! Love and hugs, Your Playmate! S
May 27th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
What a lovely post, lovely poem, and lovely pictures. I especially like the stones in the water. What a neat idea – doorknobs made of stone. I too pick up stones & rocks wherever we travel. They sit in various places in the house as decor, and the smaller ones are in baskets.
May 28th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Hi Carol! Thank you for stopping by the Line. I was just gardening with kids and sifting rocks from the soil- SO many rocks here in the Berkshires. Have a wonderful weekend. I hope you stop in regularly. Love, S
May 29th, 2010 at 1:09 am
Suzi-
I am in love with Mary Oliver’s poem and I want to share it with the world! Do you know her? And I have so many stones – so many stones. This post was really a “connection” for me. Thank you.
May 29th, 2010 at 7:55 am
Good Morning Tammy! I was thinking about you earlier when I realized our first CSA pickup is June 1st. I don’t know Mary Oliver personally, though I feel connected to her deeply by 2 friends of mine, who are friends of hers. And she and I both love to wander on the Cape. I keep her books by my bed. I will write a post soon about her poems and something important I learned in connection to them. I have “Why I Wake Early” in my brain and I speak it every morning. Find it and you will know why.
Hugs to you! Have a great weekend! Love, S
May 30th, 2010 at 11:37 am
I came back to read again and gently, virtually, touch your stones. Now I want to read more Mary Oliver! Every poem I have ever seen of hers speaks to another corner of my heart.
May 30th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
We could virtually begin our day together, by each speaking “Why I Wake Early” at the beginnings of our days, wherever, whenever. There are so many poems that will speak to you Kathy, because you share your self with nature everyday, and receive so gracefully what nature shares with you.
Off to the garden with long pants on today…recuperating from a tick bite.
Love, S
June 23rd, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Isn’t that what the “RSS” thing is about? Look on the bottom header of my home page. So glad you enjoy your time here! Thank you for commenting! Love, S