Friday, September 5, 2008

Melancholy Chasing Color

As the shroud of gray descends upon the season to hug it close like an old friend, I try to comfort myself with the knowledge of the brighter moments that will seep in. It is September now, and the weather shifts quickly like a fly in motion. Most of the time on the path to winter and solitude, but not without the stray brightness of a moment in the fall.

Without fail, September triggers the melancholy side of me. When the month first appears, its wet grayness seems to speak to me as nothing more than a mere whisper of an errant gloomy day or two. But as the month progresses and rolls into the next, the volume quickly crescendos to a roar through my veins. It speaks to me of the promise of winter, full of blinding lonely white days and long velvety black nights. It pulls me in and holds me close in the embrace of damp gray.

I try to remind myself of the brilliant mood of fall that will find me soon. I love the world after the leaves have changed. Outside when the air has lost the sticky claustrophobic feel of August, I can relish its cool crispness like apple juice through a straw. I can drink in through my eyes the oranges and the yellows, with magentas and russets providing crisp contrast in the beautiful canvas of trees.

These moments, when the color washes over me and the tart air fills my lungs, are my favorite moments of the year. I am sure it is because on each side of the moment, it is flanked by gray, making the colorful beauty pop to my soul. It is nature at her finest, walking her runway with pride and regal beauty.

And though it is gray now, I hold my breath in anticipation of the moment to come. I will wait with patience barely contained, for I know when it arrives, I will need to drink in enough melancholy chasing color to last another full year.

*This post was created with the intention of entering September's Write Away Contest hosted by Scribbit. Once again, win or loose, I had fun. So much fun, in fact, I didn't even procrastinate until the deadline, which is very, very uncharacteristic of me.

7 comments:

Scribbit said...

That was so beautiful, even though I felt the sadness a bit through your words. I tend to feel excited in fall just because of the signal it brings for school to start, it's been 25 years since I was in school and I still think of buying books and paper and pencils.

for a different kind of girl said...

I love huge chunks of this time of year. The cooler temps and the blazing colors (if we get blazing colors, that is!), but as I sit here and it turned pitch black dark at 8 p.m., it's hard for me to want to release the grip on summer just yet!

Anonymous said...

Awesome story sweetheart! Being in Florida now were everything stays green and pretty all year long your story reminds me of what I miss from time to time! OK that thought is over! LOL Mom
P.S. Good luck with the contest!

Anonymous said...

Chas, that was so beautifully written!! I keep telling your mom and now I'm going to tell you..... you should seriously consider writing a book! Iread alot of books and I believe you have a great gift, you have a very distinct style thats fun and interesting! I think you have a story in you Chas, I know you could do it!!!!! Just remember to dedicate your first "Best Seller" to your Aunt Kayleen!!LOL love and kisses to you all!

Gabrielle said...

That was beautiful! I also LOVE the crisp cool weather and I love your analogy of drinking it in like icy apple juice through a straw! Nice!!

jubilee said...

"It is nature at her finest, walking her runway with pride and regal beauty." - beautifully put.

Love your post. I love autumn, but it totally plays into my melancholy side too. A bittersweet kind of thing.

Anonymous said...

Very nice essay and descriptive of my very mood these days, especially this part: "on each side of the moment, it is flanked by gray, making the colorful beauty pop to my soul."