A Blessing for the New Year

PHOTO: A meadow of delight | Jazmin Casing

Beannacht
From “To Bless the Space Between Us” 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.

• • • • • • •

Thank you to my and Jeff’s dear friend, Steve, for the wonderful John O’Donohue CD and especially for illuminating my darkest hours with his friendship and love.

4 Comments. . .

1

This is truly inspiring. I will definitely be bookmarking this one.

— Laura posted this on January 1, 2012 @ 3:48 pm

2

I know, I love this one — I think this is the poem Steve played for us on our way up to Red Rock.

— Jazmin posted this on January 1, 2012 @ 4:12 pm

3

Yes it is! John wrote this for his mother Josie, when his Father passed. He really loved his Dad and speaks often about his gentle wisdom. On the CD it is called a Blessing for a New Year. I love you girls!

— Steve posted this on January 1, 2012 @ 8:04 pm

4

It couldn’t have been more appropriate that morning — or on this first morning of the New Year…out of darkness, light.

Thank you again, Stephen. Love you, too!

— Jazmin posted this on January 1, 2012 @ 8:32 pm

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