A French Landscape

after Paul Claudel

The river, not caring to hurry,
reaches the floor of the wide valley
without a worry in the world.
More of a stream, really:
wide enough -- just -- 
to make the stone bridge
huff, gather its skirts and leap
across in a single bound.
The church bell's tinkle,
floating up from the village,
politely announces that lunch
will be slightly early today,
on account of the fine weather.
Everyone will be there
to eat and drink in the open air,
to chat inconsequentially
of how fine and bulky
the roses are turning out this year.
From Sergy to Bruyere,
they're burgeoning. Later,
as Tante Camille dozes,
and the afternoon grows as heavy
as the burgundy we're drinking,
the pinks in the shadows
will ripen to umber.
"Meadows make bread,"
Grand-pere Cerveaux always said,
"and slopes make wine."
It's a sacred undertaking,
a thing divine,
this burgundy-making.
The proud, burly peasant
lifts glass to moustache
like the priest hoists the chalice.
The hen's in a tizzy,
elle se fache:
in the henhouse she's busy,
making pleasant her palace.
But the sun, smiling host,
bids us all stop -- here's a toast:
to lunch, it's proposed:
"To Lunch!" Allons-y!

Author's Note

after Paul Claudel -- this is based (very loosely) on Claudel's French poem
Sergy to Bruyere -- real villages, in the valley where Claudel was raised
Tante Camille -- Aunt Camille
Grand-pere Cerveaux -- Grandfather Cerveaux: The female side of Claudel's family had the surname Cerveaux, which means "brains". Neither Claudel nor his sculptress sister Camille were in any doubt that the family's brains were on the distaff side.
elle se fache -- "she's getting angry"
Allons-y! -- "Let's go to it!"