March 21 – in hard times beauty can take us by surprise

Wednesday March 20    “add texture and evoke delight”

The poetry list was born from an intuition that in hard times,  it’s important to watch one’s vocabulary.  Some days “hard times” come at us as relentless gloomy weather, sometimes with frightening news from some place in the world, sometimes savage grief from a terrible loss. Poetry engages our imaginations on good days and bad.

Here’s the lead theme statement that appeared on day one of the Post September 25, 2013.  It has served as the blog’s lead-off banner ever since, 565 poem-posts ago.

“In easy times you don’t have to be so careful about your language; you will spontaneously find playful words, wise with kindness.  In hard times it helps to pay attention to word choices lest we slide into cynical, frightened or bitter language that biases our imaginations.  The poems or sacred texts in these posts are beautiful, just the thing to pay attention to in hard times.” ~john sj

One of the list’s readers wrote this poem about 5 days ago and had the kindness to send it.  Simple, clean language that touches my heart.   Yours too, I’d bet.   It’s short; best remember to pause and breathe.

Blessings to you in mid-week.

 

john sj

 

Today’s post – anonymous

glowing barren branches

glisten in the dawn

 

the beauty of this morning’s light

transforms the disheveled state of the yard

and my spirit

 

leaves left to overwinter and decay on the lawn

add texture and evoke delight

not despair

hope

 

february 26, 2018

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