“Earth's crammed
with heaven...But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.”
― Elizabeth
Barrett Browning
I was contemplating using today’s full
moon, called the Frosty Moon as my stepping off point for this week’s Wake-Up
Call, but then another assignment came my way and somehow they seemed connected.
I was asked by the director of Temple of
the Goddess to write an article for the newsletter about Patricia
Monaghan who passed away this month. She
was a prominent figure in the women’s spirituality movement, organic farmer,
poet and scholar who believed:
In our endangered world, place seems
no longer a regional literary concept, a matter for discussion among those
whose poems are peopled by moose rather than pigeons. Describing the hallowed
sense of place was part of the craft of storytellers from the earliest human
times. We need to now recover that simple craft and tell again the stories of
the many precious places we know.
Patricia was also a Founding Fellow of The
Black Earth Institute, “a think-tank for
artists seeking to connect social justice, environment and spirituality.” And
so it is with all of this in mind that I encourage you to go outside and pay
attention with all of your senses to the environment you find yourself in. Tell
that place’s story in any form you are inspired to do so and then share your
creations with us.
Here is a poem by a Chinese Mountain
Poet that tells the story of the place he inhabited:
Living
in the Mountain on an Autumn Night
After fresh rain on the empty mountain
comes evening and the cold of autumn.
The full moon burns through the pines.
A brook transparent over the stones.
Bamboo trees crackle as washerwomen go
home
and lotus flowers sway as fisherman's
boat slips downriver.
Though the fresh smell of grass is gone,
a prince is happy in these hills.
~ Wang Wei (699? - 761)
Ready to play?
- Prepare a blog post in the creative medium of your choosing.
- Copy the exact address of the post.
- Click the Mr. Linky button below to submit your name and post.
- Visit others through Mr. Linky Engage, comment, share.
- Prompt will remain open until the following Sunday.
Love this Joanne! There's a good chance you'll feel right at home with my creation...see you soon!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to experience your creation!
DeleteGreat prompt Joanne
ReplyDeleteThanks Leslie! I've already enjoyed your beautiful creation. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteWow Joanne, this is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThank you Susie. I await you response to it. I'm sorry to have missed your WWUC...three weeks ago already? Where has Nov. gone? I guess I haven't really missed it...I can always go back. Heck, with all those great prompts out there I never have an excuse to not write because I'm not inspired. :-)
DeleteI was concerned as my time was slipping, so I've brought for an older write to share that speaks to my sacred spaces and places. I will get the homeland tribute completed...but I was not missing this prompt! Thanks again Joanne :)(You'll be familiar with this one!)
ReplyDelete