…the one red leaf, the last of its clan,
That dances as often as dance it can,
Hanging so light, and hanging so high,
On the topmost twig that looks up at the sky.
Excerpted from “Cristabel” ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Comments always are welcome.
-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Lagniappe 
Such a wonderful contrast of colours, Linda! I really like the poem, too :)
Christabel as a whole isn’t my cup of tea, but I do love this selection from it. The lilt of the words seems as delightful to me as that shining red leaf, and I’m glad you enjoyed it, too, Pete.
A beauty, isn’t it. Sweet poem. Have a great day tomorrow, Linda!
[but watch out….
GP, sometimes you crack me up. I’m going to have to introduce those turkeys to one of my favorite Christmas tree ornaments. When the tables turn, they can turn fast! Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Love to see that smile, Linda!!
Excellent! A simple and beautiful photo.
Thanks, Rob. A little simplicity’s good for the soul, and so is a little beauty. It’s fun to search for both, and even more fun to find them.
Seriously, this would make a very fine poster. Happy thanksgiving!!
The simplicity of this photo is beautifully dramatic. Love the accompanying words too.xxx
If I were to choose a painting to illustrate Coleridge’s poem, I’d probably go with someone like John William Waterhouse. But for this photo? The bit of verse from the romantic Cristabel seems just right. I’m glad you enjoyed the pairing.
That photograph has an almost Japanese quality about it I find very appealing. Very abstract, simple. The dark rhythmic brush strokes of the twigs. The oval shape of the red leaf against the blue of the sky. I think that one’s going into the desktop rotation. If you ever decide to open an Etsy print store, that would be a good one.
You’re extremely perceptive. There’s a reason you sense that Japanese quality — a reason that played into the way I framed the twigs and leaf. I purposely didn’t name the tree, but you might be able to guess it. I have a decent photo or two of the tree itself that I’ll post next.
Charming. Happy Thanksgiving my friend.
And a Happy Thanksgiving to one of the most charming women I know! Thanks for stopping by, Kayti. Give my regards to Dr. Advice, too, and tell that beastie who lives with you he ought to give thanks for his great humans, too.
Sigh. Beautiful text and photo. Happy Thanksgiving!
That little leaf was hanging around on a hillside between Kerrville and Medina, Tina. While I was in the area, I thought about you. The Ageratina havanensis was thick along the limestone cliffs, and it was beautiful, even though it was a little past its prime. There were hundreds of butterflies, too — of several species. As soon as I have them identified, there will be photos!
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too — and best wishes to your away-from-home family!
Thanks! The A. havanensis are simply spectaular this year. I’ve seen photos (though not the real deal) from the area you mention and it’s been the year of the mistflower, it seems. The Amman-dwelling boy made curry for some ex-pat friends for Thanksgiving, and we visited by phone–so yeah, all good!
A good example of simplicity being a virtue.
Indeed. And, as a wise man once said, one bright tree, or even one particularly colorful leaf, can make a visit worthwhile.
Both the image and the chosen words are perfection!
I’m glad you think so, Jeanie. I hope your day’s been perfection, too — and that sales at the Caravan have been as brisk as the autumn winds!
Such a lovely little red leaf. It is hanging on for dear life it seems as it is the last on the branch or twig. I think the lone leaf is often the prettiest. What kind is it or do you know? It sort of looks like a viburnum but I don’t know if those grow in the gulf area.
In truth, this leaf wasn’t the very last leaf on the tree — there were some others — but it was the only one on its branch, and I thought it deserved its moment of glory before it joined its companions on the ground.
I do know what kind of leaf it is, and when I post a photo of the entire tree, you will too. I purposely didn’t identify it: partly to see if someone else would, and partly because “red leaf” seemed enough. Sometimes scientific precision’s good, but sometimes it’s not necessary!
Lovely! the poem and the image! Happy black friday – ugh I don’t miss that – and happy weekend! love, lisa
What is this Black Friday of which you speak? I jest, of course. I know what it is. I also know that it’s possible to avoid the whole mess, which I intend to do. Creative non-participation is my specialty.
The color of the leaf seems like a Lisa color to me. A lot of your nature-based work tends toward blues and greens, which makes sense, but I remember the mola pieces vibrating with this sort of intense color.
I know it’s not the last leaf, but couldn’t resist this….https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Leaf
Really like how you’ve placed it in the frame.
I thought of that story when I was posting this, and I suspect other readers did, too. It’s one of my favorites. I had about a dozen of these single leaf images, and this is the only one where there was a bit of separation between the leaf and the twig just below. The leaf was a bit sharper in a couple of those other photos, but I thought the separation important enough to chose this one. I’m glad you like it.
Lovely photo. The name of the plant is hanging delicately on the tip of my tongue but it refuses to fall out of my mouth. :(
Then perhaps I should help you along and post the photo of the leaf’s home — which I’ll do in just a moment.
Lovely. And that is more our typical sky these days with the occasional exception. I am always impressed with the quotes you find…or have at your command.
Most of the credit for my “quotation bank” goes to my primary and secondary school teachers, who were ferocious in their determination to familiarize us with good literature and poetry. I still remember the first time I read this, from Flannery O’Connor. I laughed so hard, I nearly cried:
“The high-school English teacher will be fulfilling his responsibility if he furnishes the student a guided opportunity, through the best writing of the past, to come, in time, to an understanding of the best writing of the present. He will teach literature, not social studies or little lessons in democracy or the customs of many lands. And if the student finds that this is not to his taste? Well, that is regrettable. Most regrettable. His taste should not be consulted; it is being formed.”
Alas, the only thing I recall as being taught to be ensconced in our memories was the Declaration of Independence.
Poor Flannery…she missed the well-proven fact that a high school student (being a teenager) knows all there is to know. :)
Isn’t that the truth. It’s another example of the old adage about “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Whether it is your own words or those of another, you do pick the best and most fitting ones!! Perfect!
Thanks, Judy. I read all of Cristabel, and still think these are the best lines from the poem. They certainly fit in autumn, don’t they?