A Bubble Bath of Clouds
Lord: it is time. The huge summer has gone by.
Now overlap the sundials with your shadows,
and on the meadows let the wind go free.from “Autumn Day” by Rainer Maria Rilke
Lord: it is time. The huge summer has gone by.
Now overlap the sundials with your shadows,
and on the meadows let the wind go free.from “Autumn Day” by Rainer Maria Rilke
For anyone who’d prefer to listen to the post, I’ve included an audio recording (9:21). I tried to outrun it. Even attempted to dive under the thing. And yet the wave caught me, a linebacker hitting from the side. She took me down and dragged me across the course sand. A few blue and yellow…
My first day of AWP was exhausting! My two morning panels were excellent – one on writing personal essays in the age of the internet and the second on turning adversity into art. After that it was all tripe. My friend and I didn’t stay for the keynote speaker as that event didn’t start until 8:30 PM and ran until 10:00. Who planned this? Are they completely and utterly mad? Do they not know that I go to bed by 9:00?
“Mostly we nurture our own blessings or spoil them, build firmly or undermine our walls. Who are termites but our obsessions gnawing.” — Marge Piercy, Nailing Up the Mezuzah By the time you read this, I’ll have been at a writer’s workshop on Madeline Island for two days, with three more to go. I wonder…
In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ~Albert Schweitzer Talk about bursting into flame! My life seems to be taking off at rocket speed…
“Forgive the dead year. Forgive yourself. What will be wants To push through your fingers.” ~ Marge Piercy, “The head of the year” Forgive yourself… Isn’t [s]he the hardest person to forgive of all? I’m still waiting for her to make amends The future is not ours to see or to make or to bend…
Over and over, I walk the paths near home, alongside the Mississippi. Follow the river… Isn’t that what lost people are told? As I walk, I wonder how far the water has traveled and where it will go. Does it end up back in the clouds? Will it rain down to the river to travel…
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Thank you for posting the beautiful poem. I felt compelled to read it in its entirety. I found 2 translations of it on line – in a way, it was like 2 completely different poems. I prefer the version that you posted – more terse, but each word more full of meaning. The lines on being alone were very thought provoking – I could read them as being lonely or being content in being alone.
Thank you for all of your interesting posts and pictures you have done over the years. They are much appreciated.
Thank you Sandra!I’m glad you enjoyed it.