Poems by Sara Teasdale

Sara Teasdale (1884-1933) is one of my favorite poets. Her poems are written in simple but beautiful language, and speak of love, loss, hope and the deepest desires of the human heart. 

 February Twilight

I stood beside a hill
Smooth with new-laid snow,
A single star looked out
From the cold evening glow.

There was no other creature
That saw what I could see
I stood and watched the evening star
As long as it watched me.

Courtesy of public-domain-poetry.com

Woman Getting On A Broadway Car  (1913) (From Bain Collection- Library of Congress)

 The Old Maid

I saw her in a Broadway car,

The woman I might grow to be;

I felt my lover look at her

And then turn suddenly to me.

Her hair was dull and drew no light

And yet its color was as mine;

Her eyes were strangely like my eyes

Tho' love had never made them shine.

Her body was a thing grown thin,

Hungry for love that never came;

Her soul was frozen in the dark

Unwarmed forever by love's flame.

I felt my lover look at her

And then turn suddenly to me,--

His eyes were magic to defy

The woman I shall never be.

 From Rivers to the Sea (1922)

Photo by Bain News Service  (Courtesy of Library of Congress)

 

The Lighted Window

He said:

"In the winter dusk

When the pavements were  gleaming with rain,

I walked thru a dingy street

Hurried, harassed, 

Thinking of all my problems that are never solved.

Suddenly out of the mist, a flaring gas-jet

Shone from a huddled shop. 

I saw thru the bleary window

A mass of playthings:

False-faces hung on strings,

Valentines, paper and tinsel,

Tops of scarlet and green,

Candy, marbles, jacks--

A confusion of color

Pathetically gaudy and cheap. 

All of my boyhood

Rushed back.

Once more these things were treasures

Wildly desired.

With covetous eyes I looked again at the marbles,

The precious agates, the pee-wees, the chinies--

Then I passed on.

In the winter dusk,

The pavements were gleaming with rain;

There in the lighted window

I left my boyhood."

 From Rivers to the Sea (1922)

 

source

 

Winter Stars

I went out at night alone;

The young blood flowing beyond the sea

Seemed to have drenched my spirit's wings--

I bore my sorrow heavily.

But when I lifted up my head

From shadows shaken on the snow,

I saw Orion in the east

Burn steadily as long ago.

From windows in my father's house,

Dreaming my dreams on winter nights,

 I watched Orion as a girl

Above another city's lights.

Years go, dreams go, and youth goes too,

The world's heart breaks beneath its wars, 

All things are changed, save in the east

The faithful beauty of the stars.

From Flame and Shadow (1920)

Orion (source)

 

 In Memoriam F.O.S.

You go a long and lovely journey,

For all the stars, like burning dew,

Are luminous and luring footprints

Of souls adventurous as you.

Oh, if you lived on earth elated,

How is it now that you can run

Free of the weight of flesh and faring

Far past the birthplace of the sun? 

From Rivers to the Sea (1922)

 

Umbrellas In the Snow

A Wintry Day (1900) (Courtesy of Library of Congress)

Sharing an umbrella is symbolic of weathering the storms of life together, and is a popular theme of  paintings and postcards to illustrate love and friendship. Here are some beautiful examples:

Couple Under Umbrella In the Snow by Suzuki Haronobu (1725-1770) (Japanese Ukiyo-e Print, Courtesy of Library of Congress)

Postcard (1913) Courtesy of tuckdb.org

Postcard (1904) Courtesy of tuckdb.org

Postcard (1912) Courtesy of tuckdb.org

Postcard (Circa 1910s) Courtesy of tuckdb.org

Postcard (1901) Courtesy of tuckdb.org

Postcard (1908) Courtesy of tuckdb.org

Christmas Postcard (1911) Courtesy of tuckdb.org

Christmas Postcard 1904 Courtesy of tuckdb.org

New Year's Postcard (1912) Courtesy of tuckdb.org

Valentine's Day Postcard (1906) Courtesy of tuckdb.org

Homemade Vegetarian Soups

Photo by James DeMers (source)

In honor of National Homemade Soup Day, I'm sharing some recipes for warm vegetarian soups. The first three are my versions of classic soups; the fourth is adapted from a vintage creole recipe. Bon appetit!

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

§         8 ounces frozen chopped broccoli

§         2 tablespoons minced onion

§         ¼ cup flour

§         3 cups milk

§         1 tablespoon butter or margarine

§         Salt and black pepper, to taste

Cook broccoli according to package directions; drain, and set aside cooking liquid. In bowl, mix flour with milk until smooth.  Add to broccoli in saucepan and stir well. Add reserved cooking liquid, butter, minced onion, and seasonings. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until soup is slightly thickened and flavors are well blended. Serve with croutons, if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

TOMATO BISQUE SOUP

• 1 large (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 1 soup can full of milk
• ½ small raw onion, chopped
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• Seasonings to taste (garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes)

Place tomatoes and onion in blender or food processor and blend until just slightly chunky. Heat mixture in saucepan, and add condensed tomato soup, 1 can milk, and herbs and spices as desired. If you would like it spicy, add crushed red pepper flakes and/or cayenne. Stir frequently over low heat until done.  Just before serving, stir in cheese. Serve with croutons, if desired. Yield: 4 servings

PASTA E FAGIOLI

• 1 cup olive oil
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 stalk celery, chopped (optional)
• 1 large (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cans cannellini beans (or one can of these and one can of red kidney beans)
• ½ pound of uncooked small pasta, such as tubetti, ditalini or broken spaghetti
• Salt and pepper, and dried basil, to taste
• Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Coat bottom of small stock pot or Dutch oven with olive oil. Sauté garlic and red pepper flakes until garlic is golden. Add celery if using, and sauté a few minutes more. Then add crushed tomatoes and cook on low heat for 25 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and basil, and the beans with liquid. Let cook about 10 minutes more over low heat. Then add 4 cups of water and let come to a boil. Add uncooked pasta and let cook until pasta is al dente. Serve topped with grated cheese and more crushed red pepper, if desired. Yield: 4-6 servings.

 

POTATO   AND   WATERCRESS   SOUP (Potage Cressonniere)

§         5 Tbsp butter

§         2 medium onions, sliced

§         6 medium potatoes, pared and sliced

§         1 clove garlic, minced

§         ¾ cup water

§         2 bunches watercress, coarsely chopped

§         3 cups milk and water in equal quantities

§         1 cup light cream

§         Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a deep saucepan. Add onions, potatoes, garlic, three quarters cup water, salt, and pepper. Cook very slowly until vegetables are soft and mushy. Add three quarters of the watercress. Add the milk and water and stir over heat until soup comes to a boil. Press mixture through a coarse strainer; or allow to cool and place in blender or food processor to puree. Return to the pan with the rest of the watercress. Add the cream, season to taste, and heat thoroughly. Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Adapted from The Art of Creole Cookery (1962)

February Flower--The Crocus

Yellow Crocuses

February 1st is about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It is celebrated today as St. Brigid's Day in Ireland, which honors one of Ireland's patron saints, St. Brigid (or St. Brigit) of Kildare (circa 453-524 A.D.) It is also the date of the ancient Gaelic festival of Imbolc (or Imbolg), historically observed in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, which marked the beginning of Spring. Although many of the ancient Imbolc customs died out by the 20th century, the seasonal festival is still  recognized, and ancient traditions are still practiced in some areas. 

St. Brigid of Kildare (source)

We're still in the middle of winter here in southeastern Pennsylvania. Although it's been mostly above freezing this past week, piles of snow still remain from the Blizzard of 2016. But I always feel a little bit of hope at the beginning of February, that spring can't be too far away. Already the days are getting just a little bit longer, and this month we'll get to see our first spring flowers--the crocuses.

Photo by Christa Regina (source)

Crocus is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family. There are about 90 species, which bloom in various parts of the world at different times of the year. The seasoning saffron is harvested from a number of different species, including Crocus sativus, which has been cultivated in the Mediterranean since ancient times. 

Saffron Gatherers Appear in Minoan Frescoes on the Island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea (1600-1500 B.C.E) (source)

Several species of ornamental crocuses are popular with gardeners in North America and Europe, and are mostly yellow, white or shades of purple, although some varieties are available in colors including pink and orange. Crocuses are all about two to four inches tall. Snow crocuses are the first to bloom; Dutch crocuses are larger and bloom somewhat later. 

Photo by Listje (source)

Crocus flowers and leaves are protected from frost by a waxy cuticle, and they can often be seen blooming through the snow. The strong scent of many crocuses lures sleepy bees from their hives as early as February or March. Crocuses naturalize, meaning that they grow and spread, with minimal care, and return each year to add striking color to the dull winter landscape.

Crocuses In the Snow  (Photo by Ralph Hauser) (source)

Crocuses have always been celebrated as an early sign of spring and of hope. In the romantic Victorian "language of flowers", lovers could use flowers symbolically to send each other secret messages. Crocuses symbolized youth and gladness, and they are featured in the following poem and vintage illustrations.

Three White Crocuses and Violets (courtesy of tuckdb.org)

Birthday Card (1921) (courtesy of tuckdb.org)

 

Two Pretty Girls Driving In A Snowstorm, White Crocuses Below (courtesy of tuckdb.org)

Sundial In Garden With Crocuses--Scotland (1908) by Mary G. W. Wilson (Courtesy of Library of Congress)

Pot of Purple and White Crocuses (1905) (courtesy of tuckdb.org)

The Beauty of Trees In Winter

Winter Sunrise ©Susan Sherwood 2016

I have always loved bare winter trees, especially when silhouetted against a pastel sky at sunrise or sunset, or snow-covered on a clear blue morning after a storm. The following passages and images celebrate the unique strength and beauty of trees in the winter.

From Sour Grapes: A Book of Poems (1921)

Sky Reflections ©Susan Sherwood 2016

To the Real Lover of Trees

To the real lover of trees they are all equally beautiful and interesting at all seasons of the year; and no one knows trees well who cannot distinguish the different species as easily and surely in winter as in spring or summer. Almost every tree has some special and peculiar beauty which is seen to the best advantage in winter. The fine spray of the beech is seen only at this season of the year, and there are few more beautiful objects in nature than the delicate branches of our New England beech trees seen against the clear blue sky of a brilliant winter day. The sturdiness of the oak is best realized in winter, for at other seasons its massive limbs are often hidden under their covering of leaves...The bark of most trees appears more beautiful in winter than at other seasons of the year because the eye, undisturbed by the contemplation of the foliage, can then most easily take in all the details of its varied texture and wonderful colors....

 --From the Introduction to Studies of Trees In Winter (1905)

Book by Annie Oakes Huntington, Introduction by C. S. Sargent

Tree Trunks and Sky ©Susan Sherwood 2016

Winter Trees  ©Susan Sherwood 2016

Ice Skating

Today, while I'm snowed in during the Blizzard of 2016, I'm sharing some vintage and modern images of ice skaters. If you're affected by this historic storm too, stay warm and stay safe!

Mother and Daughter Skating-Postcard Image (1905) source

The following four illustrations are from the instructional book Skating With Bror Meyer from 1921. Meyer was a Swedish skating champion, and he included a number of detailed photographs which showed how to skate, step by step, in his book. The pictures were taken using a cinematograph, which was an early motion picture camera.

Bror Meyer and Miss Emmy Bergfeldt

From Skating With Bror Meyer (1921)

 

From Skating With Bror Meyer (1921)

From Skating With Bror Meyer (1921)

A Skater's Valentine- Poem (1916)

Boy and Girl Skating-Postcard Image (Circa 1900-1910)

Man Adjusting Lady's Skate-Postcard Image (1904) source

Ice Skaters in Tuxedo Park, N.Y. (date unknown- between 1904-1924) (Courtesy of Library of Congress)

Boys Cleaning Snow Off the Ice, So That They Can Skate, Washington, D.C., area  (date unknown- between 1909-1932) (Courtesy of the National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress)

Couple Doing Fancy Ice Skating, Chevy Chase Ice Palace, Washington D.C. (1942)  (Photo by Edwin Rosskam- Courtesy of Library of Congress)

Skating In Central Park by William James Glackens (1910) source

Skating on the Frozen Lahn River, Germany  (Photo by Frederic Ch. Reuter) source

 

  Ice Skating, Rockefeller Center N.Y.  (Photo by Carol M. Highsmith- Courtesy of Library of Congress)