T. S. Eliot - East Coker - excerpt (from Four Quartets)

February 12, 2010

A great spiritual meditation sent by Ivan

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

East Coker - excerpt (from Four Quartets)

By T. S. Eliot(1888 - 1965)

I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark come upon youWhich shall be the darkness of God. As, in a theatre,The lights are extinguished, for the scene to be changedWith a hollow rumble of wings, with a movement of darkness on darkness,And we know that the hills and the trees, the distant panoramaAnd the bold imposing facade are all being rolled away--Or as, when an underground train, in the tube, stops too long between stationsAnd the conversation rises and slowly fades into silenceAnd you see behind every face the mental emptiness deepenLeaving only the growing terror of nothing to think about;Or when, under ether, the mind is conscious but conscious of nothing--I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hopeFor hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love,For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet

faithBut the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.

-- from Four Quartets, by T. S. Eliot

Amazon.com / Photo by jaytkendall /

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Thought for the Day:

Be thankful for this dayof possibility.Who know what magic will unfold?

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Here's your Daily Music selection --

Richard Searles

The Green Man

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Hi Alan -Last night, I had to real pleasure of listening to a talk by Kim Rosen, author of Saved by a Poem. It wasn't so much a poetry reading as an exploration of how poetry can open our lives. She pointed out how a poem can be a teacher, when we deeply engage with it. It's rhythms pattern the breath, the heartbeat. It's imagery blooms in the inner eye. Its fluid meaning sidesteps the linear mind, leading us to deeper, holistic awareness. A poem, she pointed out, can literally change our very biochemistry. A poem, spoken at the right time, can free us. And it can bring healing in profound ways.I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark come upon youWhich shall be the darkness of

God...Kim Rosen spoke these lines by T.S. Eliot to a friend struggling through chemotherapy.A poem, held in the heart, spoken from the heart -- imagine what that can mean at such a moment of crisis. This is one of the great gifts to the world.So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.If you're looking for ways to engage more deeply with poetry, I highly recommend Kim Rosen's book, Saved by a Poem. And if you get a chance, definitely attend one of her talks or workshops. You can find out more about Kim Rosen through her website:www.kimrosen.netHave a beautiful weekend! Sending much love to you all...Ivan

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Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.

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