On the day
when the weight
deadens on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.
And when your eyes freeze
behind the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green,
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays
in the currach 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 light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
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.
John O'Donahue.
I never met this man. I only learned of him over the past year and grew to admire his beautiful soulful work. I know there are many whom he has touched deeply over the course of his life. His words and more importantly, his magnetic spiritual presence always radiated through in anything I had read about John O'Donahue.
In my thoughts, I had hoped to one day hear this exceptional human being speak, and to possibly meet. This morning I learned that John O'Donahue passed away. Strangely, this news came to me twice in the course of a couple of minutes through two different avenues. His death and the news of it has left me shocked and feeling a bit light headed...........so I can't imagine how the people whom he touched so dearly are feeling today.
It's not fair. My heart and love goes out to friends in the UK and his native Ireland who are grieving their friend today. He will always be cherished.
9 comments:
Thanks for sharing this poem, I really like the hope it conveys. I'd not heard of the poet before, but indeed a sad loss.
I too have only come across his work this past year and am part way through reading one of his books at the moment. You capture it so well when you talk about a magnetic spiritual presence radiating through his writing. A sad loss indeed - many people's worlds will be less colourful without him around.
I'm afraid I had never heard of him but that was a beautiful poem. A great talent has been lost if this is any guide to his work.
What a sad loss. Gorgeous words and message of encouragement wrapped in this poem. Sending you peace & love, JP/deb
What a beautiful piece of poetry! I have made a copy of it. It is sorrowful to hear when one with such talent passes away.
Thanks for sharing!
I had never heard of him till I saw that on Harbor's blog. Sad loss.
I really had hoped to hear him speak. yes, it is a hard felt loss for many who walked a mile or two with this man.
Yes, a sad loss. What an amazing man he was.
Carolyn Myss shared a wonderful talk John gave last October - here's the link - enjoy~
http://www.myss.com/news/archive/2008/013008.asp
Post a Comment