Every morning I walk like this around the pond, thinking: if the doors of my heart ever close,
I am as good as dead.
Every morning, so far, I’m alive.
Mary Oliver
These lines are from a poem called "Landscape" and I think it offers a good reminder that we need to keep our hearts open. The poem ends with an image of crows.
The wonderful Norman MacCaig uses a "stoned crow" metaphor for this poem that I also love:
A writer
Norman MacCaig (1910-1996)
Events got him in a corner
and gave him a bad time of it –
poverty, people, ill-health
battered at him from all sides.
So far from being silenced,
he wrote more poems than ever
and all of them different –
just as a stoned crow
invents new ways of flying
it had never thought of before.
No wonder now he sometimes
suddenly lurches, stalls, twirls sideways,
before continuing his effortless level flight
so high over the heads of people
their stones can’t reach him.
I enjoy the idea that criticism or bad luck can just make us more creative and determined to do our own thing regardless. Strangely cheering.
Bruce Monro - Field of Light
I've been finding cheer in all sorts of places and with winter approaching we seek as much light as possible.
You’ll Never Walk alone
Sally
Givertz
How are you?
Well
my body has let me down a couple of times lately
I’m
sure there were faults on both sides
Maybe
I wasn’t giving her enough attention
Did
stuff I shouldn’t have done
Until
she flat refused to carry me any further
Just
lay down and refused all food or comfort
I
was totally out of it for a while, I was steaming!
I
flew off and wandered in strange lands
Didn’t
know where I was half the time
Until
I got scared and came back to her
We
called for mediation
The
doc gave us stern instructions
Told
us to pull ourselves back together
So
we made a pledge
She’ll
do as I ask if I treat her right
So
I give her more of my time
I
take her to the gym
Lift
the damn weights
She
lets me lounge on the bed reading lyric poetry
In
return I eat right and drink green tea -
Whatever
it takes
We’re
still an item her and me
Thanks
for asking
The Day the Music Revived
Sally Givertz
Feeling like a glad Lazarus
Raised up by antibiotics
I started last night with Bach – what else?
And today the gold of Mozart
Fell on me like a blessing
After four days of radio silence –
all gone dark
Locked in the box of my brain
I can switch on, re-tune
Receive and be glad
Finally I include this poem by Charlie Rossiter that actually uses the word bliss - well he even makes it into a verb. Such a sane way to approach the arrival of winter. Celebrate and embrace it. Enjoy!
Blissing on the Season's First
Snowfall
Charlie
Rossiter
I light a morning candle
and lift my cup of espresso
the hiss of the old radiator
purrs to me like a friendly cat
I lift my cup of espresso
and wish a silent wish
blissing on the season's first snowfall
listening to the hiss of the old radiator
the kiss of morning espresso steam
rising to disappear in pearly air
outside, snow falls silent as a stalking cat
the candle flickers in columns of warm
air rising, I lift my cup of espresso
to the single silent wish, to always
and forever to this much love my life.