Wednesday, December 31, 2014

BEANNACHT: A BLESSING FOR THE NEW YEAR


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.


                                                     Beannacht
                                                            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.

14 comments:

  1. 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.

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    1. Sorry to hear about your brother, Nancy, but delighted that you found some comfort in this blessing from John O'Donohue. Best wishes in 2015.

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  2. Ahhh, so lovely, we all should have a cloak such as this. an all-occasion cloak.
    Wishing you the Most Happy New Year George. xo.

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    1. Thanks so much, Gwen. All the best in the new year.

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  3. Please 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 :)

    Gorgeous 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!

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    1. 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.

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  4. Such 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!

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    1. Thanks, 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.

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  5. One of the things Ilove about blogging George, is that now and again somebody throws up a poem
    or 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.

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    1. 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.

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  6. Thought I left a comment, but do not see it. Don't want to miss wishing you a happy and healthy 2015, George.

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  7. Thanks 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.

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  8. As 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.

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    1. Thanks 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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