Ann-Christine’s challenge this week immediately brought to mind the softness of fog and gentle rains mentioned in poems by two of my favorite American authors. In the photo above, fog and mist crept in quietly as a cat — unexpectedly yet swiftly — forcing the surfer on St. George Island, Florida, to “hang it up” early.
Fog
The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over city and harbor on silent haunches and then moves on. Carl Sandburg
In another example, I looked out early one morning to see Knoxville totally “socked in.” Hurriedly, I drove to Lake Loudon close to the UT campus to see “what the cat dragged in.” Fog, of course, covering bridges and overpasses and softly blanketing the waters below.


Rain, too, can be soft. And forgiving. Poet Sara Teasdale reminds us in her prophetic poem that nature, ignoring man’s foibles, can stealthily but steadily go about its work as if nothing has happened. Photos from a gentle rain this week in Knoxville seem to be a fitting tribute.
There Will Come Soft Rains
There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground, And swallows circling with their shimmering sound; And frogs in the pools singing at night, And wild plum trees in tremulous white, Robins will wear their feathery fire Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire; And not one will know of the war, not one Will care at last when it is done. Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree If mankind perished utterly; And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn, Would scarcely know that we were gone. Sara Teasdale



Many thanks to Ann-Christine for the challenge topic this week. To see more entries for soft, go to her site. In the meantime . . .
Travel softly,
Rusha Sams
Ana
Beautiful poems and images, Rusha.
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much. Your comments mean a lot.
JohnRH
Excellent photos and poems. Well done.
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much!
pattimoed
A beautiful post, Rusha. Your images and the poems really work well together. I remember loving that Sandburg poem from the minute the teacher told us to read it!
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much. I love those two poems as well.
Hope spring is sneaking where you live!!
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks. I love both poems for different reasons, and I used them in my English classes for years. Good to see them again!
Photos by Jez
Beautiful images, Rusha 👏 The cat analogy is a brilliant description of fog, & the softened reflection is fantastic 😃 The fog on the snowy day in my post was just like a cat & krept in silently & turned the world into an eery soft place where only I seemed to exist!
Oh, the Places We See
It makes me smile when I think of “little cat feet.” Thanks so much for commenting!!
WanderingCanadians
I love how you can find beauty outside when the weather isn’t the most ideal. It’s so interesting watching how quickly and suddenly fog can come and go and how it swirls arounds its surroundings.
Oh, the Places We See
I’m sure rainy days are great for “real” photographers. But even fir me, I found it kinda fun to try staying dry while taking pictures!
Leya
A totally beautiful post, Rusha – I had to go back again and again. Loved your soft take on, with fog and mist, drops and poetry. Sara Teasdale I had never read, but I will save it in my files. So true, so natural and so soft.
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks for your kind words and for your post that inspired me.
Leya
Thank you for your inspirational touch!
Toonsarah
Beautiful photos Rusha – you demonstrate really well that we don’t need fine weather in order to take effective shots 🙂 And I love both poems – the Sandberg which I know well and the Sara Teasdale which was new to me. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Oh, the Places We See
I’ve always loved both, and the Teasdale one reminds me that nature probably will endure no matter what we do to screw things up! Thanks for your comment.
Sue
The fog on soft feet….
Oh, the Places We See
Isn’t that a neat phrase!?
Sue
Yes!
cindy knoke
So really beautiful!
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much, Cindy. I now know why I don’t have many rain photos!!!
sustainabilitea
I love fog and I love both those poems. I knew the Sandburg one but the other was new to me.
janet
Oh, the Places We See
We have a lot in common. Glad I could introduce you to Teasdale. I’ve thought of that poem often. Thanks for looking and commenting.
Steve Berger
The pictures are wonderful. i love the fog – as long as I don’t have to drive through it!
Oh, the Places We See
You’re so right. I drove down to the water by myself, and it was kind of eerie. I rarely go out in fog or heavy rain since I’m retired and don’t have to. But, like you, I still love to see it.
Tina Schell
A terrific combination of images and verse Rusha, and a wonderful response to this week’s challenge. Beautifully said and shown
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much. Two loves of mine: poetry and natural scenes.
CadyLuck Leedy
Oh, this post is simply beautiful! I especially like how you captured the circles of raindrops! Cady
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much. I had so few pictures of rain, so I went out in it yesterday. I now know why I don’t take more pictures in the rain!!!! And I have a new appreciation for those who do!!
CadyLuck Leedy
Yes, that’s probably the exact reason I don’t have any…..but after seeing yours I may take the plunge. We are looking at booking a cruise for Fall……fingers crossed!
Oh, the Places We See
I’m jealous. We want to travel again but don’t want the hassles of cancellations, refunds, etc. Hope you find a trip to look forward to!
CadyLuck Leedy
We cancelled two months of cruises last year and they gave us no trouble at all. Even the airline is booked through Regent Cruises and there was not a problem for us….Now they are offering big upgrades to book again…… so we goin’ for it!