July 19
the island of Iona being kissed first thing in the morning a kind deed
Author: winslow eliot
Writing practice – Rainy Afternoon
Describe a rainy afternoon without mentioning rain. Create a mood – of loneliness, despair, anticipation, coziness: you might even find yourself segueing into the beginning of a story. Try describing a rainy afternoon again, and create a completely different mood.
Let the Grass Grow
You can’t pull up a blade of grass
hoping to make it grow faster
you can’t hear words
that won’t be heard
you can’t hear music
without silence
Give it rest. Let it breathe.
Forgive yourself.
All you have to do right now
is listen to the river flow
and let the grass grow.
Blows and Blessings
When fate deals you
a cruel blow
there’s only one thing
to be done:
be cheerful and go on.
When fate showers you
with blessings
and great joy
bow your head
and stand still.
July 18
cornflower blue the splash of a fountain summer nights in a foreign city
July 17
Fresh pillow cases Asking the question, “Why?” in a dream Hermes, the Messenger God
July 16
The enormous blossoms on the catalpa tree A whole day ahead of you with no plans Scrying
The Edge of the Shore
a sandpiper waits
at the edge of the shore
the sun shines hot
the breeze is stiff and bright
what is he waiting for
a wave leaps in
he jumps some more
stares out to sea
looks round at me
then waits again at the edge of the shore
I used to think
That life was more
Than jump and wait
And love and hate
Standing until your legs are sore
But now I know
That life is just a long wait by an open door
And peering through
And wondering too
What lies beyond what you can see from the shore.
July 15
After the guests all leave The Manhattan skyline on a late summer afternoon Cell phones for communicating with friends and family whenever you want
July 14
Equanimity and calm The bray of a donkey Dreaming of an enormous slab of dark blue sapphire
July 13
A sphere of selenite Seeing Saturn through a telescope Getting married
July 12
A glorious fireworks display Fireflies blinking in summer A boogie-woogie band from the sixties
July 11
A gray dawn in summer Walking a labyrinth that is not yet there The smell of wild roses
July 9
Whirling as a dervish whirls Imagining roses everywhere Remembering Elizabeth Enright’s The Saturdays
July 8
Fresh milk from the farm Bright orange salamanders on the dark, muddy way High summer
July 7
Papaya The smile of a stranger Reading about ancient history
July 6
Santorini The heat of summer Meeting a stranger from Brazil at a barbeque
July 5
Requited love Castles in England The silk route
July 4
Baby birds in the nest Baklava A whole day spent alone
July 3
The sound of crows in the early morning Sipping ouzo in the shade at a Greek restaurant on a hot summer afternoon A wedding ceremony in June
July 2
Remembering being in the desert The moss garden in Kyoto A crazy-loud thunderstorm
July 1
Dreaming of a mysterious “Travel Garden” Meditation Music from Iran