18 Comments

Listened and then read it. Lovely, Brian. Great to hear your voice.

My favourites and most evocative lines: black waterfall / rusted leaves.

My immediate takeaway from this (and this is coming from my own sense of the transition of seasons, and perhaps I'm being too surface level, perhaps not, but I'm willing to just say what I felt here at first) is the acceptance of change and that shift that can come with it, that slowing down and reflection on what has come to pass. Often, if the summer has been especially hot here, when we reach autumn I feel ok about it, sometimes glad about it because yes it brings relief, even as much as I love the warmth of the sun, and there's almost a positive motivational shift that comes with that too.

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Nathan, Thank You for sharing this! It means so much to hear what you felt!

It’s always interesting to hear the words that stand out to other people as well. I’ve noticed that when reading your writing I have similar moments where there is a particular line or word combination that now only paints a beautiful picture but creates a feeling deep in the gut. 🍂

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🤗

That means so much too, thanks!

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I loved the poem. Another wonderful installment. My favorite lines are:

Bitter, delicious coffee

brewed in the same manner

as yesterday,

except today it is not

for a burst of energy

but simply to prepare

the common filter

with a sacrament,

I read your poem as I listened to it. I love the way you chose your line breaks and how the poems looks visually with the short first and final stanzas, with two longer stanzas sandwiched between. it looks like a sigh to me, somehow.

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Thank you Jason. I hadn’t articulated the visual layout with a sigh, but I can say I felt that feeling when reading it, and I’m glad you were here to put words to it! 🍁

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The transition of the season, not as a mere change on the calendar, but as a profound shift in the inner landscape of one's being. The description of brewing coffee as a sacrament and the sensation of the earth's message settling into the tongue is both sensory and profound. The arrival of autumn can symbolise a letting go, a shedding of what's no longer needed, and a sense of relief as we align ourselves with the natural rhythms of life. Thank you for sharing this beautiful reflection. Your words are a gift to those who read them.

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Thank you for your very kind sentiment! Thanks for reading!

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Bitter, delicious coffee

brewed in the same manner

as yesterday,

except today it is not

for a burst of energy

but simply to prepare

the common filter

with a sacrament,

dark grind immersed

in clear spiraling streams

and a black waterfall

crashing into the pool below,

to savor the message

from the earth.

This stopped me. Sacrament.

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Robert great to hear from you! Thank you for reading. And if I recall, you have some love for a pour-over?! ☕️

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Brian, the arrival of autumn is always feels like a relief to me, too. And coffee as a sacrament-- absolutely. God's presence paints every leaf.

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Stunningly done, I particularly love the "bitter, delicious coffee...the common filter with a sacrament." I read your poem first, then listened to your recording whilst rereading it, and that brought yet another dimension to it.

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Thanks Mya, I’m glad it resonated with you! 🍁

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A nice way to start my morning. Very evocative of the return of fall.

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I'm glad you enjoyed it, Kelly!

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I love how you've framed this: a poem inside a poem. Lovely.

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Thank you Sue! 💫

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Great title.

Great photo.

Great, great poem.

Great layout.

Will listen tomorrow. Just finished (god, i hope it’s finished) my 51st draft of my next Substack.🌱

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Thank you Katharine! ❤️

Oooohh! I’m excited for your next post!

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