I imagine the time of our meeting
There among the forms of the earth at Abiquiu,
And other times that followed from the one –
An easy conjugation of stories,
And late luncheons of wine and cheese.
All around there were beautiful objects,
Clean and precise in their beauty, like bone.
The skulls of cows and sheep;
And the many smooth stones in the window,
In the flat winter light, were beautiful.
I wanted to feel the sun in the stones –
The ashen, far-flung winter sun –
But this I did not tell you, I believe,
But I believe that after all you knew.
And then, in those days, too,
I made you the gift of a small, brown stone,
And you described it with the tips of your fingers
And knew at once that it was beautiful –
At once, accordingly you knew,
As you knew the forms of the earth at Abiquiu:
That time involves them and they bear away,
Beautiful, various, remote,
In failing light, and in the coming of cold.
—N. Scott Momaday – “Forms of the Earth at Abiquiu”, 1976
Intimate. Powerful. Beautiful!
Thank you aaron payne for coming back!
When i was in SF last august, i noticed your absence, as yours and victoria’s places are among the best finds. i look forward to exploring your new website in delicious time. what if i may ask is the cost of this smallest and sweetest of okeeffes? Or perhaps this one is yours and you are keeping it?
Wonderful Aaron. i look forward to reading more of your posts.
Seems like the perfect time in your career to share with friends and clients what experience and accumulated wisdom has taught you. A nice present from you to share with others. Larry lazarus