The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.
~Howard Zinn
Happy Poetry Friday! Glad we can gather together even when things are grim.
Sharing a song by Russian songwriter and guitarist Vadim Stroykin, who did not support invading Ukraine and "fell" from a window today during a police raid.
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I shared this poem in 2018 but had forgotten about it until I saw Diana Butler Bass post it today. Yes, Sonnets to Orpheus II, 29, perfect.
Sonnets to Orpheus II, 29
by Rainer Maria Rilke
Quiet friend who has come so far,
feel how your breathing makes more space around you.
Let this darkness be a bell tower
and you the bell. As you ring,
what batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like, such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.
In this uncontainable night,
be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,
the meaning discovered there.
And if the world has ceased to hear you,
say to the silent earth: I flow.
To the rushing water, speak: I am.
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Shannon Downey's Let's Move the Needle: An Activism Handbook for Artists, Crafters, Creatives, and Makers
This is not normal (cross stitch pattern)
When it all feels insurmountable, do something kind for someone (cross stitch pattern)
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Beyond Literacy Link has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Carol!
2 comments:
Tabatha, Darkness and Strength is a great title for these times. You have so many fine pieces in your blog today. The music is calming but the story of the songwriter is sad. I like Rilke and the ending stanza speaks to me. I am going to post the quote you gave me on the Heartnotes Padlet. Thanks.
Thank you, Tabatha for your strength in the darkness. The music was so peaceful, and what a travesty that Vadim Stroykin was killed. I want to ask magats where they would draw the line. They are rejoicing at the cruelty, persecution, and white supremacy. Would they finally draw a line before pushing an enemy out a window? "If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine."
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