The Joyous , Lake (Voice Only) By Isabella Fiske Mc Farlin

I love this version of the poem without background sounds. Easier to hear in some ways, and your voice is all we need. Either way, with or without frogs and water sounds, it's special with you reading it. I love listening to your voice❤️! I feel that your vision of the poem recreates that moment at the pond and makes it what it is... It is a real collaboration. I love you profoundly, and I am grateful to you, dear friend. ❤️❤️❤️ As Yvonne 💕 says on the track, I conceived my son at Curtis Pond, after a couple of years of trying. My husband and I knew it was possible that I couldn’t have another child. (I have a beautiful, brilliant daughter, Joya, 17 years older than my son). The unexpected death of my father’s brother, Milton, was a great blow to my family & to others at Quarry Hill. Milton , a classical composer who had studied at Juilliard, wrote music in a style that combined the baroque and the modern. He also wrote hymns, some of which were sung in churches around the Northeastern USA. I sometimes think that his departure opened a space or a door for my son to enter (of course, my son thinks that's ridiculous). Many feel that Curtis Pond, a little lake starred with white water lilies near Montpelier, VT. , has a special magic. It certainly did for us. One can see photos of the pond at www.curtispond.org. Much of the magic is created by the people of Maple Corner, and Curtis Pond, in Vermont— Trudy, who had been a nurse, but was retired, lived at the head of the pond. She welcomed strangers as if they were “ angels, unaware” and let them stay in her home... she certainly welcomed Brion and me. My mother had asked her to put us up for a little while when she was away. and she did. We became close friends. Trudy had the rare quality of making life beautiful for others. She created a world of enchantment in her house which looked out on the waters, her small flowery yard— prosaic Yankee magic, one of the very best kinds. Trudy was happy that during our visit in 1987, we conceived Andrew, our son. Trudy was a profoundly special person, like my dear friend , Insight Timer teacher Yvonne❤️ Hofstetter, who so beautifully and empathetically reads this poem, which I wrote at the pond.🐸⭐️🙏🏻🪷 Thank you for listening! Your reviews are so greatly appreciated. A donation to Yvonne would be very welcome. She bakes delicious goodies to support her wonderful son and daughter. Like Trudy, Yvonne embodies the open and eternally welcoming sense of magic, the magic of the universe, the magic of unconditional love, of this moment, and most of all the magic of who we are.

Beautiful soothing picture drawn in front of my eyes. Thank you both 🫶🪷🩷🌸

A beautiful reading of a wonderful piece that conjures magical images. The epilogue gave it all great meaning. Thank you 🙏

Very lovely Yvonne, you have such a lovely voice. Perfect for this reading. Thank you

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Beautiful, beautiful. Thank you both for sharing this perfectly paired collaboration 🙏🏻💫🤗❤️⭐️. Many blessings, love you both 👏👏🫶🏻🫶🏻🤗🤗

Lovely reading of this poem. So heartfelt that it is hard to believe someone other than you wrote it!

Thank you Yvonne and Isabella. So beautiful 💜🙏💜✨✨✨✨✨