Friday, August 26, 2016

Poetry Friday: Beannacht

This is a busy day, with a full day of teaching and planning, plus an Open House in the afternoon.  Still, I don't want to let this week pass by without posting for Poetry Friday, and I've chosen to share a poem I read on Monday, the day we dropped our daughter off at the airport for her flight - alone this time - to college for her sophomore year.  That day, at a most appropriate moment, this poem appeared.

Beannacht
by John O'Donohue

On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.

And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The grey window
And the ghost of loss
Gets into you,
May a flock of colours,
Indigo, red, green
And azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.

Here's the rest of it.

I hope this poem fills you with as much happiness as it gave me on a difficult day, and if not, you can maybe find something in the roundup that will.  I see Heidi has an Open House today, too! 

9 comments:

Linda B said...

I love that you found this poem in that needed time, Ruth. It is a beautiful blessing for us all. Hugs to you missing your daughter. I'm glad you had such a good summer together.

Carol Varsalona said...

Ruth, it is difficult to say goodby to a child. I'm glad that this poem spoke to you at a time when you needed the words. Thanks for sharing this lovely poem.

Violet N. said...

Simply beautiful and so comforting! There are so many partings at this time of year--this is a good poem to have at-the-ready.

Matt Forrest Esenwine said...

What a beautifully perfect poem to discover. Ruth! And thanks for letting us in on the discovery!

Mary Lee said...

Lovely. I want some "fluency of the ocean."

Okay. Now let's address this blog your son writes. HOLY MOLEY! As I commented to him, I thought that blog was written by a retired college professor!! He is an AMAZING writer! Thanks for outing him!

Ruth said...

Daughter. :-)

Tabatha said...

What a soothing voice Mr. O'Donohue had. Gorgeous poem, especially read by him.

Author Amok said...

Hi, Ruth. We dropped our son off for his sophomore year a week ago. For a few days, I felt sad all over again at his absence, but we are settling back into being a three person household.

I loved these lines:

May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.

Karen Edmisten said...

What a beautiful poem and how perfect for your day. Thanks for sharing it. John O'Donahue is new to me.

I've also just come from your daughter's blog - so lovely!