Spirituality of the Seasons - Summer and Autumn
We cling to our belief and hope that dying is a prelude to new life.
Autumn is the time to reap the harvest, to gather and share the fruit,
to take care that nothing is lost. Autumn reminds us of the fleeting
nature of things, even beauty. The dying of nature and our daily
dyings are a necessary precursor to new life. It is a good time to listen
to older folk, wisdom figures, for they all have a story to tell.
Summer invites us to a more contemplative approach to ordinary things. “Tis
easier to find God in the summer.”
Two poems and one song will fill in the picture of autumn: first, an
autumn day, then autumn in the city, and finally, autumn and human
life.
Autumn Day by Rainer Maria Rilke:
Lord, it’s time. The summer overwhelmed us.
Allow your shadow fall on the sundials
and let the winds roam all over the fields.
Command the last fruits: they should fully ripen,
and give them two more southern sunny days,
to reach perfection gathering
the last nectar into the heavy grapes.
Who hasn’t built his home yet, he will never build it.
Who may be alone now, by himself he will be
without sleep, and reading, on long letters musing,
and aimlessly walking on paths nowhere leading
when in withered gardens the dead leaves are dancing.
The city, too, comes alive with theater and music.
Autumn in New York, why does it seem so inviting?
Autumn in New York, it spells the thrill of first nighting
Glittering crowds and shimmering clouds in canyons of steel
They’re making me feel, I’m home.
It’s autumn in New York that brings the promise of new love
Autumn in New York is often mingled with pain
Dreamers with empty hands may sigh for exotic lands
It’s autumn in New York, it’s good to live it again.
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