Oblivious
Red dusk is oblivious
to the catbird’s plaintive cries.
Twilight sighs and shivers
beneath the dappled skies.
Clouds morph on the horizon,
jeweled tones in refracting light.
Half moon rises slowly
beaming in the young night.
Venus makes an entrance
as the sun begins to set.
Pinpoint stars appearing
in fields of black velvet.
Throw another log on
and let the flames rise higher.
Stoke the glowing embers
of passion and desire.
We sip our wine in darkness,
feeling peaceful, slightly high.
Jazz notes floating in mid-air,
holding hands, just you and I.
Alone beneath the shooting stars,
with fireflies to light the way.
Out here we are oblivious
and where we’d rather stay.
Colleen Keller Breuning © 2023
May 27, 2023
Happy Saturday! Well it is Writer’s Choice week, where we can let our muses run wild and write to our heart’s content. Sometimes this is actually harder, believe it or not. This poem was once again inspired by a line in the Outlander book I am reading. “The night shivered.” It stuck in my mind as I was reading on Friday, and I knew it was going to form the basis of my poem.
Last night was so beautiful that after my 6 mile run, we decided to have a spontaneous firepit up in our back yard. We packed up our favorite wine, some glasses, flashlights and the makings of s’mores. I brought along my iPad and Anker speaker, and we listened to some mellow songs and cool jazz that just make you melt into the Adirondack chairs. One of these songs was “Lighthouse” by Patrick Watson, which is so beautifully inspiring.
High on our west facing ridge, we get an incredibly beautiful view of the sunset, and then can watch as the planets, moon and stars make their appearance. It was just glorious, the colors were so jewel toned and beautiful, and the fire was a gorgeous dance of orange and gold flames.
It had been a relatively cool day so I had 2 layers on, and took my warm shawl along, as the temperature was dropping. Despite the coolness, fireflies were blinking and bats were swooping. I took videos that had some incredible birdsong, the catbirds seem to be the most vocal at night as they settle in. Their chatter always makes me smile. A pair of deer curiously watched us from the top of our property, and ventured closer as they became comfortable. I am always grateful for this time in nature.
I roasted marshmallows and made s’mores for Dan and myself. Have you noticed recently that they are making the giant marshmallows flat now? I can only presume this is on purpose, for making s’mores? Or maybe my bag just got flattened – but it seemed all the bags were the same at the grocery store!
Anway, it was such a relaxing and beautiful night that I didn’t want to end. If I were more adventurous, I would love to sleep under the stars. But I’m not a camper or even a “glamper,” and I would probably get freaked out by some rogue animal and go screaming into the house, haha.
So this poem is simply about a beautiful night spent by the fire with my love, where we basked in the beauty of nature and literally felt oblivious to the demands of the world beyond our backyard. Such a wonderful feeling we plan to revisit often this summer. I wish you all a peaceful, relaxing Memorial Day weekend.
xoxo Colleen
Inspiration: “Lighthouse” by Patrick Watson
Ecrits Blogophilia Week 47.14 Topic: Writers Choice – Oblivious
Hard Bonus: WC – Include a line from an Outlander book (“The night shivered.” – I paraphrased it a bit haha)
Easy Bonus: WC – Incorporate the planet Venus
Colleen Keller Breuning 