life

Poem for Today ~Tasting the Earth

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Tasting the Earth

James Oppenheim

In a dark hour, tasting the Earth. /

As I lay on my couch in the muffled night, and the rain lashed at my window, /  And my forsaken heart would give me no rest, no pause and no peace, /  Though I turned my face far from the wailing of my bereavement… / Then I said: I will eat of this sorrow to its last shred, / I will take it unto me utterly, / I will see if I be not strong enough to contain it… / What do I fear? Discomfort? / How can it hurt me, this bitterness?

The miracle, then! / Turning toward it, and giving up to it, / I found it deeper than my own self… / O dark great mother-globe so close beneath me… / It was she with her inexhaustible grief, / Ages of blood-drenched jungles, and the smoking of craters, and the roar of tempests, / And moan of the forsaken seas, / It was she with the hills beginning / to walk in the shapes of the dark-hearted animals, / It was she risen, dashing away tears and praying to dumb skies, in the pomp-crumbling tragedy of man… / It was she, / container of all griefs, and the buried dust of broken hearts, / Cry of the christs and the lovers and the child-stripped mothers, / And ambition gone down to defeat, and the battle overborne, / And the dreams that have no waking…

My heart became her ancient heart: / On the food of the strong I fed, on dark strange life itself: / Wisdom-giving and sombre with the unremitting love of ages…

There was dank soil in my mouth, / And bitter sea on my lips, / In a dark hour, tasting the Earth.

Poem for Today ~ Star of Ethiopia

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Star of Ethiopia

Lucian B. Watkins

Out in the Night thou art the sun 
Toward which thy soul-charmed children run, 
    The faith-high height whereon they see
    The glory of their Day To Be—
The peace at last when all is done. 

The night is dark but, one by one, 
Thy signals, ever and anon, 
    Smile beacon answers to their plea, 
    Out in the Night. 

Ah, Life! thy storms these cannot shun; 
Give them a hope to rest upon, 
     A dream to dream eternally,
     The strength of men who would be free
And win the battle race begun, 
    Out in the Night! 

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Photo for the Day ~ Dream Big Dreams

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Feeling Good Tip

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When You Don’t Have an Answer, Listen

Yesterday I ran into a guy I know at the gym. This guy has biceps as big as my legs. When I looked at him he looked as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders and he was about to collapse from carrying it. I asked him how he was doing. He stopped and looked at me and said, “Terrible, Ray. Last night at dinner, out of the blue, my told me she was going to divorce me.” For a moment, I thought this big, strong guy was going to fall to pieces. He held it together. He talked and I listened. Sometimes we can’t help others to feel good, the best we can do is to listen. I think that is good enough. Maybe, as he went through his day, he’ll remember that somebody listened.

Poem for Today

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Hope

Theodore Henry Shakelford

O Hope! into my darkened life
    Thou hast so oft’ descended;
My helpless head from failure’s blows,
    Thou also hast defended;
When circumstances hard, and mean,
    Which I could not control,
Did make me bow my head with shame,
    Thou comforted my soul. 

When stumbling blocks lay all around,
    And when my steps did falter,
Then did thy sacred fires burn
    Upon my soul’s high altar.
Oft’ was my very blackest night
    Scarce darker than my day,
But thou dispelled those clouds of doubt,
    And cheered my lonely way.

E’en when I saw my friends forsake, 
    And leave me for another,
Then thou, O Hope, didst cling to me
    Still closer than a brother;
Thus with thee near I groped my way
    Through that long, gloomy night
Till now; yes, as I speak, behold, 
    I see the light! the light!

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Feeling Good Tip

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Are You Prepared for the Stormy Season?

I’m sitting at my desk at 7:45 a.m. and across the way workers are putting a new roof on a neighbor’s home. The roofers got an early start because the high today will be 103 F (39.44 C).  The neighbors are taking steps to replace a worn roof before the stormy season hits. It’s the same way with us. We don’t know when our stormy season will hit, but it will. We can take steps to ensure that we are strong, resilient and ready to handle any challenge. We can rate ourselves on the following scale from 1 to 5. One being low, 5 being high.

      1. How strong are my family and friendship connections.? 1  2  3  4  5
      2. Am I eating healthy? 1  2  3  4  5  
      3. Am I taking time each day to relax and quiet my mind? 1  2  3  4  5
      4. Am I getting 150 minutes a week of exercise? 1  2  3  4  5 
      5. How strong is my spiritual life? 1  2  3  4  5

When you finish review your scores, you’ll know where to improve to meet the challenges of your stormy season.

Thinking Out Loud

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Optimistic People are Hope-Filled People

In her work, Optimism, Helen Keller writes, ““Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope. . . . “Optimism is the harmony between man’s spirit and the spirit of God pronouncing His works good.” Pps. 47, 62

NOTE: When we link what we are doing to a higher purpose we are filled to overflowing with optimism. We know, that despite the challenges we face, the setbacks we encounter, that we will triumph in the end. I daily witness examples of this optimistic spirit. I see it at the gym where amputees exercise with the vigor and vitality of a healthy twenty year old. I see it in the faces and actions of ordinary people who experienced tragedy and keep on going believing they still have work to do. Optimistic people are hope-filled people.

Poem for Today

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Keep A-Pluggin’ Away

Paul Laurence Dunbar

I’ve a humble little motto
That is homely, though it’s true,—
    Keep a-pluggin’ away.
It’s a thing when I’ve an object
That I always try to do,—
    Keep a-pluggin’ away.
When you’ve rising storms to quell,
When opposing waters swell,
It will never fail to tell,—
    Keep a-pluggin’ away.

If the hills are high before
And the paths are hard to climb,
    Keep a-pluggin’ away.
And remember that successes
Come to him who bides his time,—
    Keep a-pluggin’ away.
From the greatest to the least,
None are from the rule released.
Be thou toiler, poet, priest,
    Keep a-pluggin’ away.

Delve away beneath the surface,
There is treasure farther down,—
    Keep a-pluggin’ away.
Let the rain come down in torrents,
Let the threat’ning heavens frown,
    Keep a-pluggin’ away.
When the clouds have rolled away,
There will come a brighter day
All your labor to repay,—
    Keep a-pluggin’ away.

There ‘ll be lots of sneers to swallow.
There’ll be lots of pain to bear,—
    Keep a-pluggin’ away.
If you’ve got your eye on heaven,
Some bright day you’ll wake up there,
    Keep a-pluggin’ away.
Perseverance still is king;
Time its sure reward will bring;
Work and wait unwearying,—
    Keep a-pluggin’ away.

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Thinking Out Loud

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The Power of Optimism

In her work, Optimism, Helen Keller writes, “No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.  . . . “the optimist believes, attempts, achieves. He stands always in the sunlight. Some day the wonderful, the inexpressible, arrives and shines upon him, and he is there to welcome it. His soul meets his own and beats a glad march to every new discovery, every fresh victory over difficulties, every addition to human knowledge and happiness.” Pps. 39, 40, 41.

NOTE: When we discard thoughts of the impossible, hate, and fear, and open our eyes and hearts to believing everything is possible, we have an optimistic heart. We have a heart overflowing with joy and love knowing that our path forward will shine a light in the darkness and light the way for others. We know that each day we will make a difference and the world will be better because we live to make each moment better.

Photo for Today

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