End of Summer

The days are getting shorter and cooler - autumn might not be here quite yet but it will be soon!  Seeing all the students heading back to school prodded me to take down my old university literature textbooks; here's a poem from G. M. Hopkins that fits the feeling these days.  

Hurrahing in Harvest Summer ends now; now, barbarous in beauty, the stooks arise Around; up above, what wind-walks! what lovely behaviour Of silk-sack clouds! has wilder, wilful-wavier Meal-drift moulded ever and melted across skies? I walk, I lift up, I lift up heart, eyes, Down all that glory in the heavens to glean our Saviour; And, éyes, heárt, what looks, what lips yet gave you a Rapturous love’s greeting of realer, of rounder replies? And the azurous hung hills are his world-wielding shoulder Majestic—as a stallion stalwart, very-violet-sweet!— These things, these things were here and but the beholder Wanting; which two when they once meet, The heart rears wings bold and bolder And hurls for him, O half hurls earth for him off under his feet. ~Gerard Manley Hopkins~ Photos: Nicole Wee  Makeup: Nicky Speer of WorldTown Cosmetics  Hair: Leah Williams of Jerome Salon  Felted flower crown: Folly a Tet