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Friday, January 01, 2010

powers of attention

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The window of the year is open
the field white
where nothing grows
yet
there it is
curled 'round itself
eager and attentive
the magic life
still, and ready to rise

the ear of corn
the swaddled bean
the bird
and the leaf
up and down like a wing

slowly slowly slowly
here it is
folding and
unfolding
inside.
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57 comments:

Mrs. M. said...

Happy New Year, Aunt Ruth!!

Ruth said...

Happy New Year, my dear Mrs. M. Please go out and smell the grapefruit tree for me. Oh, I guess it won't be blooming until March. Well, enjoy the sun and warmth then. Much love to you, Garland, Katy, Emma and Laura.

Ingrid said...

What a lovely way to start the new year. Thank you for the poem and picture.

California Girl said...

Beautiful image and beautiful poetry.

Happy New Year Ruth!

cathyswatercolors said...

Great photo really magical. Lovely poem.Window of the year is open indeed. Happy new year to you and your family, a quiet one for us surrounded by a few close friends and home early to watch the ball drop. I really have no resolutions my recent illness set me on the right track. It's so peaceful being home,work begins Monday and my heart and soul need to be there,i suppose that would be my resolution. I am always drawn to being home,you know to stare for an hour or two.I am working on being joyful and finding joy in every day moments... Peace and blessing my friend

ds said...

Oh, such a beautiful, magical way to open the new year. Thank you for both photo and poem. They take my breath away!

Patricia said...

Ruth, Thank you for your gift of creativity on this wonderful day.
I love how your poem references the power innate within the land. Do you know of "The Spell of the Sensuous" by David Abram?
May this year be full of creative gifts...that you give and that you receive!

Anet said...

I feel so Blessed when you share your poetry with us!
The photo is amazing!!!
Happy New Year to you and Don:)

Dutchbaby said...

Beautiful poem - so much detail. The colors of the photo are wonderful.

Happy New Year to you dear Ruth!

Babs-beetle said...

And a very happy New Year to you :)

ellen abbott said...

Ooooo, wasn't that wonderful. Happy New Year.

Bella Ru said...

I tried to leave a comment but I'm not sure it worked. I'll try again.

Bella Rum said...

It's amazing how the human spirit looks forward to new birth during the bleakest of times. When Dad was so sick this past week, I promised him that he would not go into a long term care facility. He said, "And we'll plant a garden in the spring, and I'll watch it grow."

CottageGirl said...

Perfect poem, Ruth for the first day of the year. It reminds me that no matter how long winter seems, the promise of bluer skies and warmer days are just ahead.
Lovely words, Ruth ... brings peace to my heart.

Vagabonde said...

The picture is “deamy” I think – the color, the birds, the feeling, and the poem is just right – a lovely combination. This morning there were 11 doves in our back yard eating the grains under the bird houses – I hope they will bring good luck. I wish you much luck and happiness this coming year.

Loring Wirbel said...

Someone was arguing about a song lyric that included 'folding, folding' the other day and asked, "Folding as in your hand at poker, or folding as in origami? You could reach radically different conclusions, or maybe even the same ones!" Which, of course, instantly made me think of the classic Gilligan line from Gilligan's Island: "Funny ha-ha or funny strange?" This poem is simultaneously folding ha-ha and folding strange, which makes it wondrous.

Ginnie Hart said...

For one hour this morning we had huge snowflakes floating around outside our windows, Ruth. It was mesmerizing, like your image above. Happy New Year, dear sister. "The window of the year is [wide] open" before us...you are so right. I wonder what we will see!

Susan said...

Beautiful bokah in the photo, Ruthie.

Your lovely poem reminds me of one of those time-lapse sequences of a seed sprouting out of the ground, only slower. Nice.

Ruth said...

Hi, Ingrid, it's nice to start the year hearing from you, my friend. Stay warm, it's super cold out there.

Ruth said...

I'm truly grateful, California Girl.

Happy New Year! Today is my dad's birthday, Jan. 2.

Ruth said...

Cathy, I know, me too.

What you wrote struck me - "I really have no resolutions my recent illness set me on the right track." Being sick can make you pause and be restful, it's true.

I will go back to work Tuesday. I think I'm ready after two weeks of rest.

Ruth said...

DS, thank you for that kindness. I'm going to pay closer attention to Nature.

Ruth said...

Patricia, well that was one of those comments that changed my life. As I said in my email, I followed Google to David Abram's Wild Ethics Alliance site wildethics and felt I'd come home. The purpose of the alliance is to focus on face to face story telling as the foundation of our understanding of the world and nature. Literature and digital sites are fine, and we need to keep the oral traditions going as their basis. Thank you, Patricia, more than I can say.

Ruth said...

That's good, Anet, thank you, because I always feel a little vulnerable when I post poems.

I wish you, Brad, Autumn, Caleb, Noah, the cats and Sniffy a prosperous New Year!

Ruth said...

Thank you, Dutchbaby, I'm grateful you enjoyed them. I look forward to more travels, florals and local San Francisco expeditions from you in 2010, my friend.

Barry said...

The "window of the year" is open indeed and looking through it at your post I've seen things both thoughtful and beautiful already.

♥ Kathy said...

Beautiful

Ruth said...

Yay, Babs, yay! A fun year ahead.

Ruth said...

Ellen, that was a nice Ooooo. Thank you. Here's to a prosperous year and decade for you and your craft!

Ruth said...

Bella, that is poignant. How wonderful that he looks forward to something dependable like spring. Ah, aging is a challenge.

Ruth said...

CottageGirl, thank you very much. We need to keep banding together with hopeful lines of verse and blue moon dances and Eva Cassidy beauties in 2010, ok?

Ruth said...

Thank you for your kind words and wishes, Vagabonde. I didn't know doves are associated with luck, but I see with a little looking online that their call at the beginning of the year is seen as good or bad. I won't tell you which is which. :)

Ruth said...

Loring, my head is spinning! Was Gilligan talking to the Professor? Just so you know, I am Gilligan, and you are the Professor.

Ruth said...

Boots, it's a good thing your apartment windows aren't wide open though, with all those giant snowflakes floating around. Please keep the year window open and your home windows closed. :)

Ruth said...

Oh Susie, I like that, time lapse. It was what I wanted to convey. It's tricky to do it in words and lines. Every line break is a pause. You're good.

gma said...

Your poem and photograph are both stunning!Our noses are smashed up against and pressing on the 2010 window. Happy New Year to you and yours Ruth!

Ruth said...

Thanks, Barry. I hope 2010 will bring wonderful thoughts and beauties to you and Linda in abundance.

Ruth said...

Thanks, ♥ Kathy.

Ruth said...

Thank you so much, Gemma, here's to very smudgy windows in 2010!

freefalling said...

"god" didn't give me the poetry gene.
I can't understand why I don't get poetry.
I'm not particularly thick, I really like words, I'm relatively sensitive and I really WANT to appreciate it - it's just that I'm missing that elusive part that makes it 'get in'.

Ruth said...

Letty, no worries. You're not alone.

Me, it was a long time before I got it. It was when I took a class and started writing. Good poetry is mostly just images, like looking at van Gogh and just feeling it. There's a lot I don't understand, but what in the words do I connect with, like blue, you know?

Renee said...

Beautiful ode to life dear Ruth.

Love Renee xoxo

Anonymous said...

Ruth, so lovely to hear from you, thank you so very much for your warm hearted message!
Your blogs are beautiful, loved the Santa Christmas decoration on your other blog.
Did you write this poem, so beautiful!

Hugs!

Julie

Tom Bailey said...

I like this poem it is very innovative - Using swadle in that context was very creative.

Happy new years

Kindest regards,
Tom Bailey

Ruth said...

Here's to life, Renee!

love

Ruth said...

Hi, Julie-ann, welcome to sync. Yep, I wrote it. Thank you for saying you like my blogs.

I was so touched by your painting of Renee's family and the generosity of your blog and images - such expert work - thank you.

Ruth said...

Thanks, Tom, I was glad that came to me too. Must be the time of year.

Best wishes and Happy New Year to you.

Unknown said...

Beautiful photo and poem, my sweet mommy. You have such a beautiful mind.

I just want to say, that photo is EXACTLY what is selling on Etsy right now, those colors, the birds, nature...so hot right now. Gorgeous, I just love it. It's now my desktop background.

Ruth said...

My dear girl Lesley, thank you.

Well, haha, the reason this is what is hot on etsy is that you sent me that image to get me started, and that was my inspiration for this image, which is a composite of 3 images: the tree in a snow field, the birds on two wires, and the bokeh lights of Christmas.

:D

julie king said...

wonderful poem ruth and the photo is stunning!

PeterParis said...

I have been away from blogging for some two weeks and in the meantime you have made some wonderful posts! I'm again impressed by what you express, the values of life that you underline... !

(Don's champagne gesture was wonderful!)

I sincerely wish you and your family a wonderful 2010!!

Ruth said...

Thank you, Julie. I hope you have a wonderful artistic year.

Ruth said...

Welcome back Peter, your absence seemed longer than that. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, I look forward to sharing 2010 with you, my friend.

Jeanie said...

I love thinking of the window of the year as being open! So many lovely things can come inside!

GailO said...

Thank-you dear Ruth for such a beautiful poem and photo to start the year with...The window of the year is open and unfolding in front of me...

May you have the best of years...and I am so happy to have met you...

xo

Ruth said...

Jeanie, let's say yes to what comes.

Ruth said...

Oliag, you are so sweet, I would love to sit with you and chat.

xoxo