Among my favorite words is "inspiration." It’s probably the most overused. It seems to be one of those words that flows out of me freely. I was reminded of this when I picked up a couple of my books of poetry published sometime back and found that word dotting the landscape of my writing.
Writing poetry is but inspiration in some moment of time, capturing feelings, emotions, images, thoughts and putting them into words. There are no limits to its scope except the constraints of the imagination, which we can overcome with use, time, risk...
Summer is of particular inspiration, especially for me after coming off of a long, cold winter trying to stay warm while battling the elements of snow and ice. Summer brings the still beauty of the luna moths to our screen door, long walks in the woods amidst dark, green ferns and the scent of pine, a surprise visit by an armored turtle near our doorstep, a rustling jackrabbit with long floppy ears grazing out in the distance, a swim in a fresh water lake under rippling, color filled sunsets, the medley of birds that flit to and fro from our feeders all throughout the day...
I reverently handle an antique book written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who stirs up some feelings when I read his inspired writing. I have 3 thick volumes of his poetry that date back to the mid 19th century and serve as inspiration to live more fully.
The seasons pass quickly as August is already knocking at our door. We have hurdled past another anniversary celebration of the founding of our country and we are racing towards September and the start of another school year. It comes. It goes - as do births, weddings, funerals...
Perhaps I get my inspiration to continue my work with Warwick Valley Living because I find inspiration in all of the connections I’ve made with people and places who have grown on me and touched me in special ways.
Of course, we are not just Warwick or our surrounding areas. We are much more, much bigger, ever expansive that taps into something more universal beyond a place and time.
This morning I was listening to a song called “Portals of the Imagination” from a CD entitled Doorways Into the Heart written by a local musician, a piano player named Bill Pernice, who will be playing at the Dautaj Restaurant tonight with his group Ethos when I was inspired to write today’s story.
It was this contemplative, meditative music that stirred up my inspirational juices and got my pen flowing.
I look over our calendar of events – yesterday’s, today’s, tomorrow’s. There will be Irish music on Railroad Green with Emish tonight and green gardens for private viewing at Meadowburn Farm next week. There will be Armenian music at Pacem in Terris soon thereafter, an exciting Air Show and Greek Festival in West Milford to come. There will be a 5K race in Greenwood Lake this weekend and a Farmer’s Expo in Vernon in a couple of weeks. There is music everywhere – all of the time. Last week there was a talk on the endangered elephant of Africa in Tuxedo and featured photography of Nick Zungoli’s trip off the Carolina coast on our website, which can also be found at his gallery in Sugar Loaf.
These events indeed are some of the riches and treasures of life which pass us day by day. I don’t even have to go outside my door to find something to do. Or to be inspired. I know that inspiration is everywhere, in all corners of all our communities, and that it will find us.
This is a great time to get on the boat and take the ride (or on your noodle) and enjoy more of summer's inspirations.
