Blessing for the start of the day

Blessing for the start of the day–what a great way to begin! I’ve been listening to John O’Donohue read his book, “To Bless the Space Between Us.” It’s such a lovely book, made even lovelier by hearing it read in his lilting voice.

I’ll share part of a poem that really moved me:

Blessing for Artists at the Start of the Day

…

May this be a morning of innocent beginning,

When the gift within you slips clear

Of the sticky web of the personal

With its hurt and its hauntings,

And fixed fortress corners,

 

A morning when you become a pure vessel

For what wants to ascend from the silence,

 

May your imagination know

The grace of perfect danger…

 

Here’s a link to the whole poem, if you’d like to read more. I love that phrase “the grace of perfect danger.” So I decided to try my hand at writing a golden shovel poem. A golden shovel poem, for those unfamiliar with this form, uses lines from a poem written by someone else. One word from each of those lines goes at the end of each line–so if you read the last word in each line, you’ll be reading the lines of the poem.  I’ve loved the ones Michelle Kogan, who introduced me to this form, has written–so here goes!

 

My blessing for the start of the day–for you (whether or not you consider yourself an artist).

Blessings on you as you start A

New day, awaken to a Morning

Filled with endless possibilities When

you have another chance to celebrate the gift that is You,

to create yourself as you want to Become —

An artist or a mother or a dragon or even A

Princess with a heart so Pure 

That you become the archetypal Vessel

of love and wisdom, leaving behind the tower that imprisoned you For 

the chance to find yourself– without knowing What 

obstacles you’ll meet or how you’ll meet your Wants 

and needs. Yet you follow your heart To

places known but as yet unseen. You Ascend

Like a winged bird From 

your safe, cozy nest into The 

vast blue Silence

Where, if all goes well, you May 

see the winding path that leads you to Your 

own Imagination.

On this particular day, may you Know

the comfort of home, the freedom of sky, and The 

faith that you are where you need to be, which brings Grace

and gladness–and the peace Of 

knowing that all is perfectly Perfect

In its messy imperfection, and that you have the courage and wisdom to face any Danger.

Poetry Friday

Catherine Flynn, at Reading to the Core, hosts Poetry Friday this week. She shares some lovely haiku–plus links to other Poetry Friday posts.

 

As always, thanks for stopping by.

A blessing for the start of the day–for every day. And blessings on your day/week/year/decade.

xoxo