Friday, 14 February 2025

Halfway past it …

 

Tis life … time goes on … remembering those days … my house in Johannesburg had a pomegranate tree … under which friends and I'd sit ...


Clambering red rose ... 
...at that stage life was fun, as it is now – just different – the pomegranate symbolising romantic longings … heart tingling times … still does … but more comfortably …



In my semi-hibernating mode I remembered the poem by AA Milne …



By E H Shepard

Halfway down the stairs

Is a stair

Where I sit.
There isn't any
Other stair
Quite like
It.



I'm not at the bottom,
I'm not at the top;
So this is the stair
Where
I always
Stop.

Halfway up the stairs
Isn't up
And isn't down.
It isn't in the nursery,
It isn't in the town.

1924 - first edition



And all sorts of funny thoughts
Run round my head:
"It isn't really
Anywhere!
It's somewhere else
Instead!"





Tis where I am … thinking I'm in the sun with a pomegranate in my hand … living life, but slowly remembering those days … hankering after them perhaps … but no – life is still being enjoyed …


Pomegranate tree


Just peacefully living positively ... now the sun has started to appear again - that grey was getting to me ... 




I just hope you're all well, able to cope with life … take care …


The lusciousness of the love apple


Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

9 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Simple but profound poem.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
I hear ya... recognise that first setting-in of life's twilight when we start to see longer shadows and memories take life... and now I am hankering for a pomegranate. I adore them! YAM xx

jabblog said...

How lovely to have a pomegranate tree. Pomegranates are so good for us, but they're quite expensive.

Anabel Marsh said...

the sun doesn’t seem to have reached here yet!

Liz A. said...

Sounds like a lovely memory.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Alex - thanks ... an easy one at this time ...

@ Yam - oh good ... yesterday was sunny, today back to grey ... but it is lighter. Pomegranates do appear at times ... probably in London ... I hope you can find one sometime.

@ Janice - yes the little house was a delight with its fruit trees ... while the courtyard with its dappled sun was very comforting ...

@ Anabel - yes I realise the sun has been hiding from most of us here in this country ... even for you in bonny Scotland ...

@ Liz - fun times were had by many ...

Thanks to you all - cheers Hilary

Hels said...

Pomegranates have diverse cultural-religious significance, as a symbol of life and fertility owing to their many seeds but also as a symbol of power, blood and death. I didn't know any of this.
Pomegranates already symbolised fertility, beauty and eternal life, in Greek and Persian mythology (Alimentarium).

David M. Gascoigne, said...

There is a lot of symbolism associated with pomegranates, Hilary, but I think my days of contributing to the fertility bit are over! I’d give it a try though! We are both in the twilight zone of our lives now and I suppose that reflection is part of the baggage that goes with it. The only answer is to get up every day and attack life with gusto. I will continue to do that. Now about that fertility challenge…….
Hugs - David

Kristin said...

Even as far from you as Atlanta, Georgia, USA, it's been cloudy and rainy and cold. When the sun comes out it's so welcome!
The poem reminded me of many years ago when my sister was born. My grandmother's both came to help my mother out. My maternal grandmother was washing clothes in the basement. I would go down for awhile and then say I had to go and so sit halfway up the stairs. I remember doing that, but no idea why.