Change

After the long, hot summer it's cold, it's raining and I'm packing. Tomorrow I head home. The French call it the rentrée, the return to home, to work and to school, and for me it's always had a more 'new year' feel to it than New Year. I always have mixed feelings about this time of year. Another year gone; another summer over. But new things on the horizon. I look forward to getting stuck into life with renewed energy. I can't wait to get home.

It puts me in mind of one of my favourite poems, by Brecht:

Alles wandelt sich. Neu beginnen
Kannst du mit dem letzten Atemzug.
Aber was geschehen, ist geschehen. Und das Wasser
Das du in den Wein gossest, kannst du
Nicht mehr herausschütten.

Was geschehen, ist geschehen. Das Wasser
Das du in den Wein gossest, kannst du
Nicht mehr herausschütten, aber
Alles wandelt sich. Neu beginnen
Kannst du mit dem letzten Atemzug.

Everything changes. You can start again
With every last breath.
But what has happened, has happened. The water
That you pour into the wine
Can't be poured back out again.

What has happened, has happened.
The water that you pour into the wine
Can't be poured back out again, but
Everything changes. You can start again
With every last breath.

Perhaps the corny sunset image doesn't really go with this sentiment, but I don't care, I like it.

Details: Nikon D70, 18-70mm lens @ 18mm, f/11, 1/200s, ISO 200. Treasure Beach, Jamaica, 20 February 2006. Placemark.