Beannacht: A Blessing for the New Year, by John O’Donohue

On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.

And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The grey window
And the ghost of loss
Gets in to you,
May a flock of colours,
Indigo, red, green,
And azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
In the currach of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.

Opening poem chosen and read by Nancy L

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The image of being wrapped in an invisible cloak is very comforting to me. A reminder that we are never alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May a flock of colors … come to awaken in you a meadow of delight. The beauty Brookgreen had to offer on this day early in the New Year left me with feelings of hope and joy. May I continue to find the time for such enjoyment throughout the year.

Photos and reflections by Denise P

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Wonder on a Dreary Day

My walk under the grey sky with touches of light rain was filled with great gentleness and peacefulness. Just a few drops to anoint the day. Many would call the weather today “dreary”, but the definition of dreary as “dull, bleak, and lifeless” was light years away from the beauty I experienced on this still morning…

Splashes of unexpected color…

Sweet, sour and earthy smells to arouse the nostrils…

The greenest, greens glistening under the drops of rain…

Plants emitting their own beauty and light, not dependent on the reflected sunlight…

A hushed quiet… 

Raindrops perched precariously on branches…

The Constitution Oak as a symbol of hope and resilience…

So much to be grateful for on this dreary, wondrous morning. 

Photos and reflection by Nancy L.