Happy New Year to all of my wonderful friends in the blogging world. Here is a fine poetic blessing that the late John O'Donohue wrote for his mother, Josie. Subsequently, the blessing was included in O'Donohue's book, To Bless the Space Between Us, and was offered as "A Blessing for the New Year." The words and Celtic sentiments embodied therein resonate deeply with me as I embark upon yet another year. May they also resonate with you.
by
John O'Donohue
On the day when
The weight deadens
On you shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.
And when you eyes
Freeze behind
The gray window
And the ghost of loss
Gets into you,
May a flock of colors,
Indigo, red, green
And azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays
In the curragh of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of the light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
And may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.
Wow. These words and the thoughts they convey are powerful and beautiful. And comforting, as I think about a younger brother who is nearing the end of his life. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your brother, Nancy, but delighted that you found some comfort in this blessing from John O'Donohue. Best wishes in 2015.
DeleteAhhh, so lovely, we all should have a cloak such as this. an all-occasion cloak.
ReplyDeleteWishing you the Most Happy New Year George. xo.
Thanks so much, Gwen. All the best in the new year.
DeletePlease forgive me if this comes through twice - I have such difficulty signing in these days with wordpress.com since I moved to my own hosted site (wordpress.org)… after several false attempts and then no confirmation that my message went through, I'm trying again… Please delete if it's a duplicate :)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous sentiments and so aptly placed with that member of the meadow of delight, herself (himself?) infused with light atop that flower. Gee but I always like your photos, George!
Thank you for the sharing the lovely poem. Happily coincidental, I also posted an O'Donahue poem as my way of saying goodbye to 2014 and hello to what comes next.
Wishing you a lovely new year!
Thanks so much, Wendy. Glad you liked the poem. I also love the O'Donohue poem you posted in your blog. Best wishes in the new year.
DeleteSuch a wonderful image of a butterfly for the New Year. I love the firve lines of the last verse above. Very appropriate for the beginning of our new adventure for the year!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sandra. Delighted that you like the butterfly image. Images of butterflies, free and winging their ways through the meadows from beauty to beauty, always infuse me with optimism. All the best in the coming year.
DeleteOne of the things Ilove about blogging George, is that now and again somebody throws up a poem
ReplyDeleteor a picture or even a saying which resonates with you and enriches your life. This is one of those moments - a beautiful poem. Happy New Year to you.
Happy New Year, Pat! The O'Donohue blessing puts me in the right frame of mind as we move forward. Happy to know it works for you as well.
DeleteThought I left a comment, but do not see it. Don't want to miss wishing you a happy and healthy 2015, George.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Bonnie. Didn't receive the first comment, but got this one. All the best to you and your family in the coming year.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading your post with the O'Donohue poem I was thinking... this is a lovely poem and then I recognized it as it is the poem I used in my holiday email card I sent to friends... O'Donohue is one of my favorite poets and I just got one of his books for xmas.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Donna. I think I have all of O'Donohue's books at this point, and I continue to dig deeper into them every year. His lovely words and perspectives always leave me with a great sense of peace and joy. All the best to you in the coming year. By the way, your holiday card was beautiful!
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