Time Long Ago
Time long ago, on an Indian Summer night,
When the harvest was put away,
And children were snuggled in feather beds
At close of a busy day --
Then Father would sit at the open hearth
And fashion with knife and scroll
A hobby horse, or a sturdy sled,
Or maybe a wooden doll --
While Mother maneuvered the crochet hook,
Or schemed with the calico ...
And fascinators and pinafores
Danced polkas in a row.
It isn't that world economy
Has untethered his silver wings ...
But that, atticked away in a cob-webbed age,
Lies the pleasure of making things.
Ora Pate Stewart
This one really speaks to me because I hate the thought of handmade gifts becoming extinct, so to speak. I simply love making handcrafted gifts. Here's one post I've written on the subject: The joy of handcrafting for Christmas. I think that, sadly, "the pleasure of making things" maybe did disappear from our society for awhile there, but it has returned in that many folks now do enjoy making handmade things and giving them away. I hope we never lose that again.
Maybe one of the good things that come out of the virus will be the simple pleasure of a homemade gift. I have a list of about 10 things going, but after those I think I will be doing some small Christmas ornaments for some local friends....not this year but next. Like I said I have a mile long list right now.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sandy, the simple pleasure of homemade crafts and baked or canned goods for gifts is one of the good things that has some out of this lock-down period.
ReplyDeleteGreat poem, makes me think of Little House in the Praire . I love handmade gifts
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