Thursday, December 31, 2009

"And Now Let Us Welcome the New Year Full of Things That Have Never Been." ~Rilke


Oh, vain Narcissus, you are so eager to be the first flower to bloom that you open in the midst of Winter! I took this photo today of my pretty Narcissus, wet with raindrops.



It's a rainy, overcast New Year's Eve here in Louisiana. No seeing that full blue moon tonight. That's the stump where my tree used to be. I have bulbs planted all around it...mostly Iris's.



I took a walk around my squishy back yard this morning and saw that even my Blueberry bushes are starting to bud. Winter, what winter??? I put out bird seed and stale bread for all of our birds. The Cardinals are magnificent, like blotches of red paint against a sky of gray canvas.



My Chocolate Mint coming up around my Blueberry bushes. It smells divine.


A tangle of Morning Glory seeds on my patio fence just waiting to drop and sprout.


Ray found this old washtub a few years ago in the woods and I planted it full of Strawberries in 2008. They're fast spreading, in spite of the cold.


My one big accomplishment of 2009 was painting this one little wall pink in my laundry room. It took me all of two weeks to paint it, but I did it! Happy New Year, friends!!


~*~Marion~*~



I leave you with one of my favorite Mary Oliver poems to contemplate:


The Journey
by Mary Oliver


One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice ---
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!" each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do ---
determined to save
the only life you could save.


(From: "Dream Work")





14 comments:

Woman in a Window said...

Shit. I was excited about the moon for you Marion, and for me, and it's overcast here as well. Too bad. Perhaps we'll feel it instead.

Sometimes I wonder how you choose these poems? Who you choose them for? Only yourself? But i see them as hands reaching out.

Happy New Year Marion and much much love
xo
erin

Marion said...

Erin, I hope the sky clears at your place because it's beginning to clear here. I see a few rays of sunshine painting my living room floor yellow. There's hope! I really want to see that last full moon of 2009 tonight. I heard on NPR this morning that a full moon on New Year's Eve only happens about once every 20 years. How awesome is that? I definitely will feel it, clouds or no.

About how I choose the poems: it's more like they choose me. I wasn't going to post a poem with these photos, but I picked up one of my many anthologies piled by my computer and it fell open to this poem and it just seemed to want to be read. I always hope that the poetry I post will feed someone's spirit. Much love back to you, my precious poet-friend, and Happy New Year to you, too. Blessings!!!!

Karen said...

My favorite poet! Thank you for the perfect poem for this eve of a new year and new decade. I hope your year brings better health and as much happiness as your gigantic heart with hold!

xoxo

Phoenix said...

I am always giddy when you quote Rilke - and what a beautiful poem by Mary Oliver. So incredibly true, and damn do I need to learn that lesson something fierce - there is only one life I can truly make better and save.

Have a beautiful New Year's celebration and a wonderful and blessed 2010.

Renee said...

I love your wall and you have a window.

My laundry room is in the basement.

Happy New Year and I will be looking up at that old moon tonight darling and I will make a wish on it for you, so hopefully you will be in less pain.

Love Renee xoxo

Wine and Words said...

The voices inside my head are always shouting bad advice. Shush! This year, YES, a new voice all my own. Chocolate mint mojitos...Yummy.

Happy New Year sweet Marion. I'll be on vacation at my Mom's until Jan 6th. See ya on the flip side of the year.

Kelly said...

I loved the walk through your yard.... AND the Mary Oliver poem!

For your sake, I hope the clouds come my direction to obscure that blue moon and allow you to see it instead. My clouds seem to be coming from the west, though...

Wishing you, my dragonfly friend, all the very best for 2010!!! May it be a blessed year for you!!

Marion said...

Karen, yes, Mary Oliver is a word magician. I can't recall any of her poems I don't like! Thank you for the good wishes. I wish you a happy 2010, too!

Phoenix, I appreciate you, too, and knew you'd love the Rilke quote. It's one of my favorites of his. I wish you buckets of happiness this year. Blessings, my friend!

Renee, there's not a basement in this state. LOL! Too wet here in the swampland for digging below ground. Thank you for your good wishes, my pal. My back is feeling better this morning but Ray and I are fighting sore throats we got from the grand ones in Tennessee. I wish you pure joy this year and healing, too. Love & Blessings!!! xoxoxox

Happy New Year to you, too, sweet Annie!! I hope you have a good time visiting your Mom. Rest, relax and have fun!! Love & Blessings!!

Kelly, Happy New Year! The clouds cleared for a short time and I did see the moon, but only just a glimpse. It then clouded and rained, but I was happy for a peek. I wish you a better year, too. I hope the rain leaves your pond and gravel road alone!!! Love & Blessings, dear friend!!

Renee said...

Dear friend when we first starting connecting I use to get bonged out of your computer all the time, it would not let me leave messages and then throw me out. I am so happy that I stuck with it and that we too have become true friends.

I want you to know that your comment you just put on my blog will make Jacquie so happy that you talk about her boy like that.

Happy New year and thank you.

Love Renee xoxo

Marion said...

You're so welcome, Renee. Yes, I seem to have exorcised my computer gremlins last year. LOL! Tell Jacquie how much she is loved, too. Hugs & Blessings, dearest Renee!! xoxo

Karen said...

Marion - Come by my place and scroll down the sidebar to see the snowy view from my back door. I know you love a little snow!

quid said...

Lovely mix of poetry and pictures. Beautiful day on the east coast of Florida... rain in Tampa, football everywhere. A little physical poetry.

:)

Hugs, quid

Char said...

Love the pictures and the poem. It seemed to me to be a perfect choice for the new year.
Wishing you a wonderful 2010 with good health and much happiness. xoxo

"L" said...

Marion, lovely end to the old year. Let's move along. always ahead. "L"