Tuesday, November 09, 2021

Slice of Life Tuesday: Gratiku Day Nine

 

On Sunday, my son told me that in the church service he attended, someone made reference to a poem by Wendell Berry called "What We Need is Here." Here it is. I love the very specific images, and the reminder at the end to appreciate what's here: "And we pray, not / for new earth or heaven, but to be / quiet in heart, and in eye, / clear. What we need is here."

 

Manna is enough for one day. You're not supposed to hoard it; you're supposed to trust that there will be more tomorrow. It's so easy to live in yesterday, or tomorrow. So hard to be here, now, today, trusting for enough.

 

What we need is here:
Air, sunlight, enough to eat,
Enough for today.


Birdtober? Gratiku? What's up with me and these made-up words and daily posting? Well, I've learned that a tiny little burst of creativity each day helps keep me going, stops me from being entirely fixated on the mess. That's why I post daily photos on Facebook. And that's why I'm doing these writing projects. This one is a daily haiku about something I'm thankful for. (A gratitude haiku - get it?) As long as the internet keeps working, I'm going to try to post one every day in November.

4 comments:

Tabatha said...

The Wendell Berry poem got me straight in the feels.
"Ceart gu lèor" (the phrase in Scottish Gaelic for "okay") actually means "right enough," which I like very much.

Unknown said...

Your gratiku made me breathe deeply. I needed this message today.

Denise Krebs said...

Ruth, beautiful image of gratitude today. Yes, enough for today. Thank you for the reminder and for sharing Berry's poem.

Word Dancer said...

THANK YOU FOR THIS - for Berry's poem - for your open spirit - for GRATIKU - Love it!

Berry blew me away:

We open a persimmon seed to find the tree
that stands in promise,

WOW! Thank you!