Jannietta
  • Home
    • About me
  • Poems
    • Publications
  • A Peace of Poetry
    • Events
  • Healing words
  • Blog
  • Reviews

Jannietta

Poetry for peace and wellbeing
Picture

WHAT IS THIS LIFE IF FULL OF CARE

2/12/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Recently a piece of homework, set by the tutor of a poetry class I am attending brought home to me how much of life we miss simply through lack of attention.

  • Our homework was to observe:
  • The motion of a particular cloud
  • The wind in a tree
  • The sound of a river
  • A blackbird’s song
  • The twinkling of a star
  • The sound of distant traffic
  • The movement of life in a particular stone

At first I must admit that I began the task a little reluctantly but soon I found myself to be completely absorbed in the art of looking and listening to the sights and sounds of life all around me.

What started off as an exercise in creative writing turned out to be so much more as I was filled with an unexpected feeling of total joy. Too often our lives become so cluttered with thoughts about life that there is little room left to appreciate the simple pleasures of being alive.

Too easily we can spend our days lost in a haze of future plans and/or worries and concerns about life that the beauty and wonder of even having a life in the first place is overlooked.

Being mindful, that is filling our minds with what is happening in the present moment, is a deeply refreshing alternative to being lost in thought and is the best way I know of to develop an appreciative response to life.

Days after completing my homework I find that I am still being drawn to notice things in more detail: the deep blue of the delphiniums in the garden, the arc of wisteria climbing the wall, the sparrows nibbling at the bird feeder, the sound of children’s laughter drifting over the garden fences, the vast expansiveness of the sky, the scent of jasmine, the cuckoo's song.........and amongst all this a gentle and pervasive sense of being a part of it all.

The words of a well know poem by W.H Davies comes to mind:

‘What is this life if full of care
We have no time to stand and stare?’

My advice is simple – make time to stand and stare....and then perhaps share with others what has caught your attention?

Add Comment

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    The opinions I express here are my own. However I offer them with the word 'syat' next to them. 'Syat' is a word used by the Jain Tribe in India which means 'To the best of my knowledge SO FAR.' In the spirit of openness I invite comments from anyone whether you agree with my point of view or not. In this way we can all learn and grow together. Thank you.

    Archives

    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    July 2018
    August 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from vargklo, h.koppdelaney, David Holt London, eccampbell, Brett Jordan, LeonArts.at, Claire Boynton, cuatrok77, Pan Frances, Rob Gallop, symphony of love, Francesca Cappa, dreamerofmb, johnthoward1961, lynn dombrowski, porschelinn, FurLined, danheap77, country_boy_shane, Thomas Leth-Olsen, torbakhopper, Odin Fotografía (aka dskciado), jordanmerrick, miss_rogue, Matt From London, Iqbal Osman1, a4gpa, uno di passaggio, Mara ~earth light~, robzand, brookpeterson, One Way Stock, DonkeyHotey, kedondeng, Lee Cannon, Mark Morgan Trinidad B, tlindenbaum, maxf, Snap®, Wendy Longo photography, h.koppdelaney
  • Home
    • About me
  • Poems
    • Publications
  • A Peace of Poetry
    • Events
  • Healing words
  • Blog
  • Reviews