I bought several pairs of socks a few weeks ago, and as a reward, the sock people send me a new and free one – my favorite yet. Maria calls them “Wonder Woman” socks, but I call them “Lightning Socks,” they inspire me to move forward, and I love the colors.
I don’t quite understand my sudden love for these very colorful socks, I am dull and conservative in the clothes that I wear.
Maria thinks my true spirit is emerging, or I could just be going bonkers again. We’ll see. I think she’s to blame for all of this, life with an artist changes the soul.
They make me very happy, they remind me of the color and light in the world, they bring color and light to an unexpected place.
When I look at the black and blue socks I always wore, I can’t bear to put them on. They feel pretty good also.
Ode to My Socks
Pablo Neruda – 1904-1973
Maru Mori brought me
a pair
of socks
which she knitted herself
with her sheepherder’s hands,
two socks as soft
as rabbits.
I slipped my feet
into them
as though into
two
cases
knitted
with threads of
twilight
and goatskin.
Violent socks,
my feet were
two fish made
of wool,
two long sharks
sea-blue, shot
through
by one golden thread,
two immense blackbirds,
two cannons:
my feet
were honored
in this way
by
these
heavenly
socks.
They were
so handsome
for the first time
my feet seemed to me
unacceptable
like two decrepit
firemen, firemen
unworthy
of that woven
fire,
of those glowing
socks.
Nevertheless
I resisted
the sharp temptation
to save them somewhere
as schoolboys
keep
fireflies,
as learned men
collect
sacred texts,
I resisted
the mad impulse
to put them
into a golden
cage
and each day give them
birdseed
and pieces of pink melon.
Like explorers
in the jungle who hand
over the very rare
green deer
to the spit
and eat it
with remorse,
I stretched out
my feet
and pulled on
the magnificent
socks
and then my shoes.
The moral
of my ode is this:
beauty is twice
beauty
and what is good is doubly
good
when it is a matter of two socks
made of wool
in winter.
Wonderful poem!
Bless you and your colorful socks! We need color and FUN these days! 🙂
Hi Jon,
Blessings to you and Maria from Oregon. I am so uplifted every day reading your blog and loving your pictures. I am also appreciating the newer material you are adding. Such good stuff. But the socks have really gotten my attention. My grandson, 17, wears these kinds of colorful socks so I share the sock posts with him every time you post them. He suggested you might like to check out Happy Feet. It is an online company he buys some of his from. They are good fun when we all need something colorful and light to talk about. He also likes to wear colorful clothes. Like Maria, an Aquarian, there is no end to the creative ideas he has for dressing and most other things in life. Thank you so very much for the work that you do and all of the wonderful people whose stories you share and are able to help. There is much love and support in this Universe for people like you. I am a fan.
Ah, if doing small things that make us happy means we are going bonkers, I’ll take bonkers!! I love your socks! I’ve received a few pairs of “naughty message” socks from friends, and I dearly love them. A company called Blue Q makes them as well as other things. I love wearing them! I think the socks show your true spirit emerging!
Love the socks! I look forward every day to seeing what new ones you have.
Some of my favorite socks are the Mr. Rogers sox my daughter gave me.
Love the Neruda poem posted by Catherine Sparks!