Ourlivestoostreamaway,downthe unlightedavenues,pastthestripof time,unidentified.
TheWaves, VirginiaWoolf
Therearenolongeranyprayershere.
Grasseseasetheirwaybetweenthestones,a slowaccretionoftime&matter;soslowit maybepossibleondayslikethistohearthe earthbreathe.
&behinditallisthelowsunwhichpoolsin thisvalleyanddrawstheeyesacrossthefields wetwithrecentrains&thelitterofOctober's storms;leafmulch,deadgrass,atangleof woolsnaggedjustsoonashardofgrass, cream-yellowtouchedwithgrey.
Justholdthismoment,yousay;watchtheday rippletheairabovethevalley,thewaythat eachsuspendeddropletofmistislitbythe sun,&catchthesmelloftheearthafterrain, thewayitfillsthedeadenedairwithitstang ofwetmetalandmushrooms.
Beyondthefell,somewheredowninthe hurriedvalley,aroadmumblesitsinsistence, thetownsandvillagescareenwiththeir plasticcups&parceldrops&streetlights winkingintolife,&allthehecticpressofthe worldissomehowbelowandoutsidethis momentofcalm.
&further,rimmingthehorizonlikean afterthought,thebulkofthemountain,low cloudsparsingitsdark,animpressofshadow, &thewindcarvingtrees&rocks&grasses towardstheeastasthoughbentinprayer.
Towhereperhapswehopedsomegodwould rise,ortowherethegodsgo,carriedonthe wind,silentandreproachful.Orperhaps thosewerethegods,wemightsay;thewind &therain&theshiftingclouds;thosewere thegods.
Note
Thenameofthevalley,Wythop,derives from'wīðig',meaningwithiesorwillow,and 'hop';'asmallenclosedvalley'.
Theoldchurchdatesfromthe14th or15th century,andwasuseduntilitsdemolitionin 1865. Penumbraisthe partialorimperfectshadow outsidethecompleteshadow;itcanalso meananyshadowy,indefinite,ormarginal area.
