[Poetry Chaikhana] John O'Donohue - The Inner History of a Day

December 31, 2008

A new year's poem sent by Ivan. Enjoy!

--- On Wed, 31/12/08, Poetry Chaikhana <ivan wrote:

Poetry Chaikhana <ivan[Poetry Chaikhana] John O'Donohue - The Inner History of a DayalanadamsjacobsDate: Wednesday, 31 December, 2008, 5:17 PM

Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana --

The Inner History of a Day

By John O'Donohue(1954 - 2008)

No one knew the name of this day;Born quietly from deepest night,It hid its face in light,Demanded nothing for itself,Opened out to offer each of usA field of brightness that traveled ahead,Providing in time, ground to hold our footstepsAnd the light of thought to show the way.The mind of the day draws no attention;It dwells within the silence with eleganceTo create a space for all our words,Drawing us to listen inward and outward.We seldom notice how each day is a holy placeWhere the eucharist of the ordinary happens,Transforming our broken fragmentsInto an eternal continuity that keeps us.Somewhere in us a dignity presidesThat is more gracious than the smallnessThat fuels us with fear and force,A dignity that trusts the form a day takes.So at the end of this day, we give thanksFor

being betrothed to the unknownAnd for the secret workThrough which the mind of the dayAnd wisdom of the soul become one.

-- from To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, by John O'Donohue

Amazon.com / Photo by Esparta /

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Thought for the Day:

Read these words, but ignore them.The silence will teach you.

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Here's your Daily Music selection --

Katy Taylor

Mirabilis

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Hi Alan -Today, as we stand at the cusp of the new year, this meditation on the day spoke to me.We seldom notice how each day is a holy placeWhere the eucharist of the ordinary happens,Transforming our broken fragmentsInto an eternal continuity that keeps us.The day, the multitude of days, the present moment that spreads in all directions, revealing itself as the eternal moment... Midnight, tonight, on New Years' Eve, the whole world becomes aware of time, the passing of time, the closing of the past, the hopes and aspirations for the new year, the new chapter in our lives. Intensely aware of time, we discover something of the timeless. A global reset button.But, you know, that timeless moment doesn't sit only at twelve midnight on this one night of the year; it is the silence behind each tick of the clock and each beat of the heart, every

day, year round.So at the end of this day, we give thanksFor being betrothed to the unknownAnd for the secret workThrough which the mind of the dayAnd wisdom of the soul become one.--John O'Donohue is an inspiring Irish philosopher, poet, mystic who passed away unexpectedly in early 2008.John O'Donohe had degrees in philosophy and literature. His writings, though grounded in academic philosophy and theology, are immediate, personal, very human. He was as much a mystic and a poet as a contributor to philosophical dialog.Much of his writing and poetry drew deeply from Irish Celtic perspectives, both in Christian and pre-Christian wisdom, while speaking to a widely diverse, modern audience.--Have a new year filled with renewed hope and purpose, new possibilities, deepening peace, and the discovery of surprising new spaces in the heart.Lots of love to you

all!Ivan

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