Tuesday, September 16, 2014

BREAKING THE DEAD SHELL OF YESTERDAYS

Morning Sun Breaking Through the Trees on The Hill Behind My House

                                                 A Morning Offering
                                                  by John O'Donohue

                                 I bless the night that nourished by heart
                                 To set the ghosts of longing free
                                 Into the flow and figure of dream
                                 That went to harvest from the dark
                                 Bread for the hunger no one sees.

                                 All that is eternal in me
                                 Welcomes the wonder of this day,
                                 The field of brightness it creates
                                 Offering time for each thing
                                 To arise and illuminate.

                                 I place on the altar of dawn:
                                 The quiet loyalty of breath,
                                 The tent of thought where I shelter,
                                 Waves of desire I am shore to
                                 And all beauty drawn to the eye.

                                 May my mind come alive today
                                 To the invisible geography
                                 That crosses me to new frontiers,
                                 To break the dead shell of yesterdays,
                                 To risk being disturbed and changed.

                                 May I have the courage today
                                 To live the life that I would love,
                                 To postpone my dream no longer
                                 But do at last what I came here for
                                 And waste by heart on fear no more.


From John O'Donohue's To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings (Doubleday, 2008).


10 comments:

  1. Amen. Thank you George ... and dear departed John.

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  2. You're welcome, Bonnie, and have a nice day.

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  3. George, at the moment you are passing on some really beautiful poetry, so thank you so much for that.

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    1. Thanks, Pat, and by all means, keep passing it on.

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  4. Your photograph expresses the "altar of dawn"… just lovely words and image.

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  5. Glad you like this posting, Margaret. I love that metaphor — "altar of dawn." It puts one in the right frame of mind to encounter the day.

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  6. A beautiful atmosphere in your sunny photo to go with the poetry. I especially like the second verse.

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  7. Thanks, Sandra. Delighted that you like the poem.

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  8. Your pairing of a beautiful image with this poem is lovely.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Donna. O'Donohue's book of blessings never fails to lift my spirits.

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