Appomattox
On the drive home yesterday we stopped at Appomattox Courthouse. Now, I’m not a Civil War buff, but it was moving to stand in the place where the bloodiest years in American history came to a close.
It was easy to imagine the lines of tired men, in their dirty blue and shredded grey uniforms, standing silently along the fence railings, or quietly smoking under the trees, as they waited for their generals to emerge with the ceasefire agreement. It was a solemn and somewhat sad place.
The little house there that held a printing press had that beautiful staircase in it. I couldn’t resist it – it has all the elements that I most enjoy – repetitive pattern, color, geometric unexpectedness, and the sense of being touched, lived-with, enjoyed. I think I took eight photos just of that silly staircase.
And the rolling rich Virginia landscape also captured my eye and my imagination. What heart-wrenchingly lovely country I live in. What sweetness I find in the springtime renewal, the frail blossoms, the budding twigs overhead, the dancing flight of birds over those meadows of new green. It’s enough to make you dizzy.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
