Oh do you have time

to linger

for just a little while

out of your busy

and very important day

for the goldfinches

that have gathered

in a  field of thistles

for a musical battle,

to see who can sing

the highest note,

or the lowest,

or the most expressive of mirth,

or the most tender?

Their strong, blunt beaks

drink the air

as they strive

melodiously

not for your sake

and not for mine

and not for the sake of winning

but for sheer delight and gratitude-

believe us, they say,

it is a serious thing

just to be alive

on this fresh morning

in this broken world.

I beg of you,

do not walk by

without pausing

to attend to this

rather ridiculous performance.

It could mean something.

It could mean everything.

It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote,

You must change your life.

~Mary Oliver

ease is a myth, really…….we can’t love completely, live like we know what we’re doing, and give our hearts….all without making a lot of wretched mistakes….

inquiry for today~  who do you forgive when all goes down? when you’re lost? how do you begin again?

when we fail

A form of invented suffering is the pain of feeling owed. Of having leapt, taken our turn, done our very best work and not getting the results we expect (and deserve).

The danger and fear and oppressive anxiety often push us away from contributing. But when we do contribute, having experience so much in our internal narrative, our instinct is to demand gratitude. And prizes. And an end to the suffering we’ve created. When success doesn’t occur, the easiest thing is to walk away and not make the mistake of speaking up ever again. The most important thing to do, though is to do it again, to care again and to seek to make change, again.   ~Seth Godin

Save