. . . If an angel delivered the mail, would he arrive

in a blinding rush of wings or would he just assume

the appearance of the regular mailman and

whistle up the driveway reading the postcards? . . .

~ Excerpt from “Questions about Angels,” Billy Collins

Today was a long, happy ramble, and it was so warm in the sun of the meadow - it was mowed - that I had to take off my jacket and be sleeveless with the sun on my shoulders and face and arms as I walked over the mown grass and into the brambles by the river where the deer go and leave sweet trails I can easily follow. I stood by the Charles and sensed the beautiful reflection of the tall pines, evergreen lush, across the river. It was so quiet and bright and still, and I had all the time I wanted, no rush to get home for anybody, anything. Before this, I stopped at the brook and Charlie barked again at the angel while I took this photo. It feels like Thanksgiving, the holiday, already because my youngest has come to stay for a few days, until Thanksgiving eve. And so we took a long walk again, later in the day, and Charlie was pooped when my other daughter tried, even later, to take him on her run. Poor Charlie got more exercise than he bargained for today. My youngest daughter and I are presenting a workshop soon, a couple of them, actually, and so we had time to to some preparation and we did some playback together which was very juicy and helpful. I started the roughing out of a new poem as well. Possibly two. Just the very start. And I returned to the new poem I brought to Thursday workshop and buffed it up from the feedback and that felt very satisfying, to get it better before forgetting the helpful feedback. Tonight, tired of television, my daughter insisted I read some poems aloud. So we had a little poetry reading in the living room by the fire. Very holiday-ish. I light the candles in the living room early in the day, with the fire, too. Only this time of year, the candles. I don’t like to sit in the living room without their flickering energy. So much more light needed indoors in these darker days of November.