Guest guest Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- Sabbaths 1999, VII By Wendell Berry(1934 - ) Again I resume the longlesson: how small a thingcan be pleasing, how littlein this hard world it takesto satisfy the mindand bring it to its rest.With the ongoing havocthe woods this morning isalmost unnaturally still.Through stalled air, unshadowedlight, a few leaves fallof their own weight.The skyis gray. It begins in mistalmost at the groundand rises forever. The treesrise in silence almostnatural, but not quite,almost eternal, butnot quite.What more did Ithink I wanted? Here iswhat has always been.Here is what will alwaysbe. Even in me,the Maker of all thisreturns in rest, evento the slightest of His works,a yellow leaf slowlyfalling, and is pleased. -- from Given: Poems, by Wendell Berry Amazon.com / Photo by Jonathan Gill / ============ Thought for the Day: Faith has nothing to do with belief.Faith is surrenderingyour fears and hopesto the Divine Life flowing through you. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Yuval Ron Ensemble featuring Najwa Gibran Tree of Life Listen - Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -It's been a while since we've had a poem by Wendell Berry. And, yes, maybe this poem is for a misty autumn morning, but it suits a crisp late winter day too...Again I resume the longlesson: how small a thingcan be pleasing...That's the "long lesson," the slow realization of a lifetime lived with attention: the deep satisfaction of simple moments. Grand experiences may serve as important punctuation marks to life, but it is only when we deeply engage with the gentle flow of small events that we come to know our lives. Remember, real magic is hidden; it is hidden in those quiet moments.how littlein this hard world it takesto satisfy the mindand bring it to its rest.And nature is our constant teacher and guide, again and again bringing us back to ourselves.With the ongoing havocthe woods this morning isalmost unnaturally still.When we walk well among the woods, with the quiet attention that comes only when self is left behind, we glide through the eternal moment.What more did Ithink I wanted? Here iswhat has always been.Here is what will alwaysbe.And we just might come to recognize the Source of "all this" -- right here, within this moment, within our own breast.Even in me,the Maker of all thisreturns in rest...Berry's title tells us this poem is about the Sabbath. He understands the real meaning of the Sabbath. It is not the one day out of seven when one goes to church or synagogue. Sabbath is the living moment of sacred rest. It isn't a question of how often we sit within a steepled hall. Until the mind quiets and comes to rest in the heart, we have not yet honored Sabbath.Have a beautiful Sabbath day!Ivan Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary... Donations to the Poetry ChaikhanaA big thank you for this week's donations:- Leslie (MA), Carol (OH - r), Isabel ®I am so grateful for each and every contribution. Your support makes a big difference in maintaining the Poetry Chaikhana.---A few reasons to consider making a donation of your own... People's focus naturally shift and evolve over time. Individuals who donated regularly a couple years ago sometimes move on. For that reason, the Poetry Chaikhana needs new contributors. The Poetry Chaikhana is entirely free. You don't have to make a donation to receive the daily poem or explore the web site. 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Poetry Chaikhana HomeNew | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | ContactPoets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | CommentaryBlog | Forum | Facebook | Twitter www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306 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. ============ Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead. Friday Only: If you want to receive only one poem email each week, reply to this email and change the Subject to "Friday Only". Canceling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to "Cancel". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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