Another windy storm system crossed Ireland overnight. Although this one was not so bad, another is on its way. These winds have caused a lot of damage this winter, unsettling coastal areas and reminding us of the power in nature. In a similar way in our inner lives, we can get blown about, stirred and knocked off-center, or shaken up so that we live life more consciously.
There is a thing in me that dreamed of trees,
A quiet house, some green and modest acres
A little way from every troubling town,
A little way from factories, schools, laments.
I would have time, I thought, and time to spare,
With only streams and birds for company,
To build out of my life a few wild stanzas.
And then it came to me, that so was death,
A little way away from everywhere.
There is a thing in me still dreams of trees.
But let it go. Homesick for moderation,
Half the world’s artists shrink or fall away.
If any find solution, let him tell it.
Meanwhile I bend my heart toward lamentation
Where, as the times implore our true involvement,
The blades of every crisis point the way.
I would it were not so, but so it is.
Who ever made music on a mild day?
Mary Oliver
photo martin smith
Mindfulbalance 