http://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/june-2023-full-strawberry-moon
Today’s sunryu: Goodnight Moon, Good Morning, Love
June’s strawberry moon
inspired many dreams of you
start my day smiling
jooinn.com
Looking for a little “light” reading for this holiday weekend? How ’bout this?
PushmePullyou – Why bother with either or both of these signs @ http://www.flickr.com
Today’s love poem: The Separation Union Spectrum
I’d rather cling to you than cling to the past:
…. how does here and now rank for you?
…….. how will we creatively experience our one life?
………… how will we assert our relationship?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
So, yesterday’s Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox was especially provocative for me. (see https://dailymeditationswithmatthewfox.org/2023/05/25/searching-the-roots-of-fear-and-pessimism/)
Fox’s message is a synthesis of Otto Rank, Aquinas, Rumi, Meister Eckhart and Julian of Norwich wisdom with the “throat grabbing” hook: “pessimism is a philosophy of hatred that springs from self-hate.” Wow, “must read” or “must listen” for me!
Matthew’s reflections also led to a wonderful “rabbit hole” to the Otto Rank Wikipedia page. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Rank).
Otto Rank, aka the “father of humanistic psychology“, is known for his writings on creative will and relationship & existential therapy. Something else worth checking out when you have the time.
Today’s pupryu: One Beauty, Three Buddies
thank you grass and tree
for your shaded comfort on
this hot Spring morning
I was fortunate to walk four dogs yesterday in downtown St. Louis: Tic Tac, Mr. Pants, Nectarine and Revolver. What a joy on this mid-80-degree (F) day.
Tic Tac – a gorgeous lady – 7yr. old 55lb. female Terrier
Mr. Pants – a Pit Bull on a Corgi body
Nectarine – a joyful tripod – 3yrs. old 42lbs. male Terrier
Revolver – an energetic playmate – 2yr. old 48lbs. male Terrier
———————————————————————————————————————
In the right home, each of these dogs would be a furever fur friend.
If you cannot adopt a dog, please adopt an animal rescue shelter.
What does unconditional love look like? Below are two of the four fur friends I walked yesterday in downtown St. Louis.
Aeshma – 2yr old female Terrier 51lbs.
Tic Tac – 7yr old female Terrier 55 lbs.
I also walked two males, Orville and Skidmore, but forgot to take pictures. Next time.
All four dogs are beautiful creatures and I feel so lucky to walk with them. My greatest wish is that they are adopted soon so that they can be with a loving human seven days a week.
Today’s pupryu: Fur Friends
greeted so warmly
trusted so quickly – I’m awed
by the love you give
Check with your local animal rescue facility for some unconditional love opportunities.
babygaga.com
Backward, turn backward,
O Time, in your flight,
Make me a child again just for tonight!
Mother, come back from the echoless shore,
Take me again to your heart as of yore;
Kiss from my forehead the furrows of care,
Smooth the few silver threads out of my hair;
Over my slumbers your loving watch keep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!
Backward, flow backward,
O tide of the years! I am so weary of toil and of tears,—
Toil without recompense, tears all in vain,—
Take them, and give me my childhood again!
I have grown weary of dust and decay,—
Weary of flinging my soul-wealth away;
Weary of sowing for others to reap;—
Rock me to sleep, mother — rock me to sleep!
Tired of the hollow, the base, the untrue,
Mother, O mother, my heart calls for you!
Many a summer the grass has grown green,
Blossomed and faded, our faces between:
Yet, with strong yearning and passionate pain,
Long I tonight for your presence again.
Come from the silence so long and so deep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!
Over my heart, in the days that are flown,
No love like mother-love ever has shone;
No other worship abides and endures,—
Faithful, unselfish, and patient like yours:
None like a mother can charm away pain
From the sick soul and the world-weary brain.
Slumber’s soft calms o’er my heavy lids creep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!
Come, let your brown hair, just lighted with gold,
Fall on your shoulders again as of old;
Let it drop over my forehead tonight,
Shading my faint eyes away from the light;
For with its sunny-edged shadows once more
Haply will throng the sweet visions of yore;
Lovingly, softly, its bright billows sweep;—
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!
Mother, dear mother, the years have been long
Since I last listened your lullaby song:
Sing, then, and unto my soul it shall seem
Womanhood’s years have been only a dream.
Clasped to your heart in a loving embrace,
With your light lashes just sweeping my face,
Never hereafter to wake or to weep; —
Rock me to sleep, mother, — rock me to sleep!
Walked four beautiful girls, one at a time, downtown St. Louis yesterday. All available for adoption through Stray Rescue of St. Louis. Hard to imagine that they haven’t been adopted already. I can certainly vouch for each one as prime candidates for best fur friends forever: BFFF!
Today’s petryu: Four Beauties
just one will fulfill
but four – how can we resist
available love
Layla
LOTI (Luck of the Irish)
Supreme
Elle Elephant
“A diet-based identity … is a more concrete expression of one’s values. After all, the food we consume is a foundational statement to who we are, what and whom we value. … We persuade not so much in what we say, but in what we do over and over again, with our bodies serving as proof. Knowingly or unknowingly, eaters express their political conscience each and every time they eat.” Samuel Boerboom, How Language, Food and Identity Intersect, The Reducetarian Solution, p. 222
Just finished The Reducetarian Solution audiobook, edited by Brian Kateman, and ordered the hardcopy to re-read it more closely. I’m definitely attracted to this pragmatic approach to reducing our meat intake for the benefit of our health and the health of our planet.
I plan to share highlights of the book in subsequent posts, but please don’t hesitate to check out the whole book for yourself. (See references below.)
Today’s senryu: A Diet-Based Identity
thoughts, words and actions
we say more non-verbally
we are what we eat
By Patrick McDonnell @ https://mutts.com/
Erato, in Greek mythology, is the goddess of lyric poetry and her sister Calliope is the goddess of epic poetry and eloquence, both were one of the Muses. Apollo is the Roman god of the sun, healing, music, and poetry. Bragi, son of Odin, is the Norse god of poetry and music, revered for his wisdom, his eloquence, his ability to compose and recite. He was also the god of ceremony.
So many gods and goddesses of poetry. So many words.
Today’s senryu: Erato, to you, too
one more chance to say
i love you, Erato, i
really, really do
Are you a logophile, too?
http://www.mariashriversundaypaper.com/anam-cara
There are many forms of friendship and I’m exploring the concept of soul friends. Below are brief excerpts from John O’Donohue’s book Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom which includes A Friendship Blessing. Is this meaningful for you?
“In the Celtic tradition, there is a beautiful understanding of love and friendship. One of the fascinating ideas here is the idea of soul-love; the old Gaelic term for this is anam cara. Anam is the Gaelic word for soul and cara is the word for friend …
In everyone’s life, there is a great need for a soul friend. In this love, you are understood as you are without mask or pretension … an anam-cara friendship is graced with affection. Friendship awakens affection. The heart learns a new art of feeling.
A Friendship Blessing
May you be blessed with good friends.
May you learn to be a good friend to yourself.
May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where there is
great love, warmth, feeling, and forgiveness.
May this change you.
May it transfigure that which is negative, distant, or cold in you.
May you be brought in to the real passion, kinship, and affinity of
belonging.
May you treasure your friends.
May you be good to them and may you be there for them; may they
bring you all the blessings, challenges, truth, and light that you
need for your journey.
May you never be isolated.
May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging with your
anam cara.
Excerpted from Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O’Donohue, Copyright © 1997 by John O’Donohue.
One year ago, I began posting daily and today is my 365th consecutive entry. Here’s what I’ve learned:
While the number of readers (aka followers) has increased 14x, I’ve come to appreciate every new reader and accept that there will be turnover (i.e., some will stop reading). That’s fine, that’s life.
So, many thanks to all my readers and for all the people whose posts I follow. This community of writers has been a joy and I’m looking forward to Year 2.
With gratitude _/\_
Patrick
Me (Patrick Cole) on the banks of the James River in Richmond, VA (photo taken by my daughter, Annie).
Life Matters 