shallowness

Am almost finished with this excellent read.   It paired nicely with this other library borrow.   Both good background as I gear up to get my ESL teaching certification this July.

joy

When everything goes wrong, 

what a joy to test your soul 

and see if it has endurance and courage

Zorba the Greek

pithy

No poem today, but found this great quote during my breakfast read and it seemed apropos for, I was going to say the week, but it fits pretty much any time.  It's been a yo-yo week with jobs coming/going, out-of-town family visits, an unwelcome health diagnosis of our matriarch, and a fun party.   Guess juxtaposition is what keeps life and art interesting.

Tension is who you think you should be.  

Relaxation is who you are.  

Chinese proverb

Had a fabulously fun choir party last night to wrap up our year.  While I will miss my Thursday night rehearsals, I will now be able to participate in the local Art Walks.  Stay tuned for reports!

summer joy

As my sister was transferring slides into digital format for a Father's Day gift, she found this long ago photo.  I don't actually remember this moment, but it's made me laugh and vaguely grasp that sense of summer joie de vivre.

gratitude, gorgeously given

I had chosen this quote to share the next time I got to a computer and serendipitously, a voice student gave me these lovely roses on Sunday.  A fabulous reminder to remain aware of the future/past/present continuum.

Happy Solstice.  12 weeks until Autumn...

"Mr. Ailey told us that you must always turn around and look to see who is behind you so that you can help them.

Meaning--remember that there was someone who looked behind them and grabbed your hand and helped you.  So we put our feet on the ground and come to understand who we are as human beings, and then

we must turn around and help the next person.  We're all part of one big circle--we must constantly look toward the future, pay homage to the past, but respect the present and live in it."

Jamison

morning musing

What gets you up in the morning?

For me it is the thought
that someday, I will be
as far away from here
as I can get

Watch me
rubbing out the lines behind me
I recommend it

I recommend
fooling everyone into thinking
that you have settled down
and then heading for the hills

The dog will bare his teeth
if instructed and meet up
with you later. It's good
you named him Bandito:
he'll watch your back

This, by the way, this is not a fantasy
It is page 69 (ha ha!) of the manual
I read when we were planning
the takeover

So it didn't happen—so what?
This is better
Wait until I tell you
what's on the next page

"Bandito" by Eleanor Lerman, from The Sensual World Re-Emerges. © Sarabande Books, 2010.

filled with the spirit

This Sunday is Pentecost and we're doing a joint service.  That means every parish musician gets to perform When the dust settles, it will have been a lovely and vibrant service.  But right now I'm absorbing all the opinions about styles of music and which is most appropriate/holiest/most pleasing to the deity and fielding questions about why such/such and so/so gets more notes to sing during the service.

(Seriously!  Who are these people who have time to worry about who gets more air time?)

To cope, I pulled out one of my church musician books and found this quote.  It's not poetry, but it's spirit lifting; from Harold Best's Music Through the Eyes of Faith:

Remember: there is no such thing as 'constructive criticism'.  Also remember:  everyone is a music critic.  'I know what I like' usually means 'I like what I know.'  The seven last words of the church--we've never done it like that before--will always be present, but for the most part, you will rise above this.  Sometimes, however, you will be tempted to jump out of your office window.  Remember that you are only on the second floor--hardly worth it! 

Since my office is in the basement and jumping is not viable, I resort to throwing hymnals.; at least mentally  Think the most challenging part is keeping my mouth shut and not voicing my musical opinion.  My job here is to facilitate and coordinate musicians; not dictate what I think is tasteful and elegant.

Summer cannot come soon enough!

poetry friday

Nothing can be forced to live.
The earth is like a drug now,
like a voice from far away,
            a lover or a master.  In the end, you do what the voice tells you.
It says forget, you forget.
         It says begin again, you begin again.

from "March" by Louise Gluck