Friday, December 1, 2006

Oh My Corazon

First a picture of Tim Burgess because I couldn't post one for yesterday. Take a moment to appreciate him. That's better. And he can sing. Beautifully. I'm going to put his album on my wish list right now. Click his name above and it will take you to his MySpace site, where I have been hanging out listening to his song, the title of tonight's blog, in fact.

Tonight's blog is all about the poetry.

I have already had some great recommendations for poems. I am currently learning William Blake's The Poison Tree, which rhymes and rhythms (technical poetry terms) so is easier to learn. Very powerful this one though I may have to meditate on it for a while.

The spirited and spiritual Mark Wright has suggested Rumi's quatrain:

"Light the incense. You have to burn to be fragrant. To scent the whole house, You have to burn to the ground."

Which I love. At first I thought it would be cheating to just learn such a short poem, but then I thought about the comments from Nick Seddon about the joy of allowing a poem's meaning to unfold at its own speed, and I think Rumi's poem will be perfect for this.

Kit Kat Kate recommended a much longer poem, and this, I suspect will be the real challenge of the weekend. Alice Walker's 'Expect Nothing':

Expect Nothing

Expect nothing. Live frugally

On surprise.
become a stranger
To need of pity
Or, if compassion be freely
Given out

Take only enough

Stop short of urge to plead

Then purge away the need.

Wish for nothing larger
Than your own small heart

Or greater than a star;

Tame wild disappointment

With caress unmoved and cold
M
ake of it a parka

For your soul.


Discover the reason why

So tiny human midget
Exists at all
So scared unwise
But expect nothing. Live frugally
On surprise.

It's such a beautiful poem though, and the reference to 'tiny human midget' sounds like one of the Chief's terms of endearment for me.

The lack of sleep accrued (can you negatively accrue? I'm not sure, let's chance it together) over the last few weeks has heartily caught up with me and I intend to spend the weekend indulging in some serious R&R. I was due to catch up with a couple of old friends tonight, but we've decided to postpone til Monday when I don;t have to cut the evening short for an early night. We've all decided to go out for some drinks, or some dinner, maybe both. I will not be seriously boozing. This ladette is on the rehab diet! I have decided to follow the words of Seneca and "
Enjoy present pleasures in such a way as not to injure future ones."

Today's Beautiful Things

1. 999 Red Balloons in the Square and projections on the Guildhall for World Aids Day

2. Talking Christmas over coffee and admiring honesty

3. House. I love House. I mean really love him. Why are all the men I love best fictional? Am I this damaged? (Answers on the comments page - this is an official blog vote)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree on cute x

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

I heart him even more now - cute picture!
Yay, a boy we agree on!
L x