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| Sunrise over Mount Princeton, Colorado (www.mtprinceton.org) |
I'm currently reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Voskamp was challenged one year to create list of one thousand moments of gratitude and the book is a spiritual memoir of how her journey helped her to know God more deeply. This year, I'm challenging myself to create my own thousand gifts list. Then, this week on his Facebook page, Parker J. Palmer posted this poem and it seems like it fits perfectly with the thousand gifts theme…
"Praise What Comes"
"Praise What Comes"
surprising as unplanned kisses, all
you haven't deserved
of days and solitude, your body's immoderate good health
that lets you work in many kinds of weather. Praise
of days and solitude, your body's immoderate good health
that lets you work in many kinds of weather. Praise
talk with just about anyone.
And quiet intervals, books
that are your food and your hunger; nightfall and walks
before sleep. Praising these for practice, perhaps
that are your food and your hunger; nightfall and walks
before sleep. Praising these for practice, perhaps
you will come at last to praise grief
and the wrongs
you never intended. At the end there may be no answers
and only a few very simple questions: did I love,
you never intended. At the end there may be no answers
and only a few very simple questions: did I love,
finish my task in the world? Learn at least one
of the many names of God? At the intersections,
the boundaries where one life began and another
ended, the jumping-off places between fear and
possibility, at the ragged edges of pain,
did I catch the smallest glimpse of the holy?
(c) Jeanne Lohman, 2003
in THE LIGHT OF INVISIBLE BODIES
Listen to Jeanne reading "Praise What Comes" here.
I went poking around the internet to see if I could find more poems by Jeanne. Here are several that I loved:
According to Palmer, Jeanne recently celebrated her 90th birthday by publishing her 10th volume of poetry. You can find a list of books by Jeanne Lohman here.
This week Poetry Friday is hosted by Tara at A Teaching Life. Head over there for more great poetry. And wish Tara a happy birthday while you are there!
in THE LIGHT OF INVISIBLE BODIES
Listen to Jeanne reading "Praise What Comes" here.
I went poking around the internet to see if I could find more poems by Jeanne. Here are several that I loved:
According to Palmer, Jeanne recently celebrated her 90th birthday by publishing her 10th volume of poetry. You can find a list of books by Jeanne Lohman here.
This week Poetry Friday is hosted by Tara at A Teaching Life. Head over there for more great poetry. And wish Tara a happy birthday while you are there!
That's a fantastic way to celebrate your 90th birthday! I love "Praise What Comes." Thanks for including links to more of Jeanne's poems.
ReplyDeleteGratitude seems like the perfect way to go.
ReplyDeleteOh my, this Poetry Friday is so filled with beautiful poems, Carol, & poets new to me. What wonderful poems. I can imagine my own grandmothers with those 'pines'. They both had such large flower gardens & I played with the flowers, used the petals for doll food. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGra dirtied is a beautiful thing. I hope you reach your thousand gifts.
ReplyDeleteI like it! Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of a thousand gifts of gratitude, and even more so, your challenge to take on something similar. IMHO, that gorgeous sunset photo should be on your list!
ReplyDelete