Poetry Sunday: Time for Serenity, Anyone? by William Stafford

Serenity might be something we all wish for in this time of chaos. Nature goes on, goes its own way, unmindful of human trials and tragedies, and I find that a source of serenity. I hope you have a source of serenity in your life as well.
Time for Serenity, Anyone?
by William Stafford
I like to live in the sound of water,
in the feel of mountain air. A sharp
reminder hits me: this world still is alive;
it stretches out there shivering toward its own
creation, and I’m part of it. Even my breathing
enters into the elaborate give-and-take,
this bowing to sun and moon, day or night,
winter, summer, storm, still—this tranquil
chaos that seems to be going somewhere.
This wilderness with a great peacefulness in it.
This motionless turmoil, this everything dance.

Comments

  1. David M. Gascoigne,April 19, 2020 at 6:35 AM

    What a wonderful poem, Dorothy. Thanks for sharing it. You do have a knack for finding this kind of visceral stuff and I am sure that I am nit the only one who appreciates it very much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersApril 19, 2020 at 10:09 AM

      Often, the poems, like this one, seem to find me. I'm happy to share.

      Delete
  2. The Butterfly ReaderApril 19, 2020 at 12:07 PM

    This soothes my soul if that makes any sense. Thanks for sharing this one!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AlanaApril 19, 2020 at 2:05 PM

    Many of us have time for serenity, for the sounds of silence. The poem selected for today inspired my post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersApril 19, 2020 at 4:46 PM

      Silence can be a blessing, It forces us to really listen.

      Delete
  4. Judy KruegerApril 21, 2020 at 11:54 AM

    Lovely and true.

    ReplyDelete
  5. PiscesDecember 18, 2021 at 5:42 AM

    I’m going to read this. I’ll be sure to come back. thanks for sharing. and also This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. this is very nice one and gives indepth information. thanks for this nice article... How long can drugs be detected in your system

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Poetry Sunday: Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver

How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no...
Read more

The Investigator by John Sandford: A review

Image
  I have read a few of John Sandford's books in the Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport. This book is a literal offspring of that series. It's the first in a series featuring Davenport's adopted daughter Letty Davenport. Letty is in her mid-20s and a graduate of Stanford. She works for a U.S. senator named Christopher Colles in a desk job but she's bored with her assignments. Then the senator offers her a chance to go into the field as a liaison between his office and the Department of Homeland Security.  In her first assignment in that position, she is sent to Texas along with DHS investigator John Kaiser to try to find out what is happening in regard to thefts of crude oil. The senator is not so concerned about the lost oil but wants to know where the money from its sale is going. Who is selling the oil and what they are doing with the profits? The suspicion is that a particularly nasty militia group led by a woman is involved. Letty and Kaiser head out to Texas, de...
Read more

Poetry Sunday: Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman

You probably remember poet Amanda Gorman from her appearance at the inauguration of President Biden. She read her poem "The Hill We Climb" on that occasion. After the senseless slaughter in Uvalde this week, she was inspired to write another poem which was published in The New York Times. It seemed perfect for the occasion and so I stole it in order to feature it here, just in case you didn't get a chance to read it in the Times . Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman Everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed and strange, Minds made muddied and mute. We carry tragedy, terrifying and true. And yet none of it is new; We knew it as home, As horror, As heritage. Even our children Cannot be children, Cannot be. Everything hurts. It’s a hard time to be alive, And even harder to stay that way. We’re burdened to live out these days, While at the same time, blessed to outlive them. This alarm is how we know We must be altered — That we must differ or die, That we must triumph or try. ...
Read more