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Poetry Friday: A Mindful Poem



Thanks to everyone for the lovely comments on my Poetry Friday post last week! I’m glad you enjoyed hearing about springtime at the pond. The tadpoles are visibly bigger than last week, and this week we learned that they’re not the only younglings in the pond.

One day as we approached, we heard more croaking than we've ever heard before. As we neared the pond, we found out why. Two young salamanders and an adult were actively swimming in the deep center of the pond. One of the adult frogs was sitting in the reeds near the center of the pond croaking frequently, and more tadpoles than we had ever seen together were clustered in the shallow water near the edge of the pond. 


It's fascinating getting these glimpses into the world of this pond. I'll continue to share updates from time to time, especially when we see our first pollywogs.


Even though yesterday was a holiday here, it’s been a busy week for me. When I get busy, meditation and poetry help me feel anchored in the present moment, so today for Poetry Friday I’m sharing an excerpt from one of my favorite mindful poems, from the anthology Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems, edited by Phyllis Cole-Dai and Ruby R. Wilson.


The poem is “Instructions for the Journey,” by Pat Schneider. I love everything about this poem, but these lines feel particularly applicable as I look back over the past few years:


“The world, too, sheds its skin:
politicians, cataclysms, ordinary days.
It’s easy to lose this tenderly 

unfolding moment…”


I love the end of this poem but I won't spoil it here. You can read the full poem and hear a recording of the author reading it over on her website. 


This week’s host for Poetry Friday is Irene Latham over at Live Your Poem. 


I wish you all mindful moments in the coming week!

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Comments

  1. Denise KrebsMay 14, 2021 at 7:14 PM

    Elisabeth, what a sweet mindful celebration of the pond. My students and I used to raise water dogs into adult tiger salamanders. It was fascinating. We'd buy them in the bait store, and release them in the lake when they became adults. Thank you for the invitation to read and the link to the poem on the journey by Jan Schneider. Beautiful.

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    1. ElisabethMay 18, 2021 at 2:12 PM

      Thank you Denise! I can imagine how amazing it would be to be able to follow the development of the salamanders more closely than we're able to by visiting the pond.

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  2. Linda BMay 14, 2021 at 11:34 PM

    Really lovely & uplifting. I like every part, the feeling of "as if it were the first clear tone/in a place where dawn is heralded by bells." And I like hearing about your frogs, a likely spring chorus. I often think of them as rehearsing for some grand play. Have a great weekend.

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    1. ElisabethMay 18, 2021 at 2:13 PM

      Thank you Linda! I'm so glad you enjoyed the poem, and hearing about the frogs. I'm looking forward to the coming weeks as we watch them grow and develop.

      Delete
  3. Linda MitchellMay 15, 2021 at 2:25 AM

    How beautiful...I have done that...stand at the sink. Thank you for sharing this poem.

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    1. ElisabethMay 18, 2021 at 2:13 PM

      I'm so glad to that something that I've found meaningful is resonating with others. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  4. Bridget MageeMay 15, 2021 at 1:04 PM

    Thanks for another peek in your pond, Elisabeth. I'm worried about those tadpole.
    And thanks for sharing Schneider's words: "Feel it." - yes!

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    1. ElisabethMay 18, 2021 at 2:15 PM

      Me too, Bridget! There are hundreds of them, and I know that we'd be overrun if every one of them grew up into a frog that left the pond but ... I don't like to think of them as little links in the food chain either!

      Delete
  5. Mary LeeMay 15, 2021 at 2:03 PM

    Thank you for keeping us up to date with the pond goings-on, and the reminder to remain mindful.

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  6. TabathaMay 15, 2021 at 9:56 PM

    It's lovely how "the one you are becoming" applies to everyone, all the time.

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    1. ElisabethMay 18, 2021 at 2:16 PM

      Isn't it? I think that's one of my favorite phrases in that poem.

      Thanks for stopping by, Tabatha!

      Delete
  7. Janice ScullyMay 16, 2021 at 10:41 PM

    Thank you for posting Pat Schneider's poem. It's wonderful. I enjoyed listening to it. I also love frogs and tadpoles and ponds.

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    Replies
    1. ElisabethMay 18, 2021 at 2:16 PM

      I'm so glad you enjoyed the poem Janice. I love learning about poets from other posts on Poetry Friday, so when I was feeling pressed for time because of my busy scheduled, that poem seemed the perfect one to share.

      Delete
  8. Karen Edmisten May 20, 2021 at 2:20 PM

    I love Pat Schneider's work. Thanks so much for sharing this one. And I'll be on the lookout for the next tadpole update. :)

    ReplyDelete

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