Thursday, June 28, 2012

Red Sky

  
Sun Rise Tottenville Beach - photo by Jim Quinn


“Life is glorious, but life is also wretched. It is both. Appreciating the gloriousness inspires us, encourages us, cheers us up, gives us a bigger perspective, energizes us. We feel connected. But if that's all that's happening, we get arrogant and start to look down on others, and there is a sense of making ourselves a big deal and being really serious about it, wanting it to be like that forever. The gloriousness becomes tinged by craving and addiction. On the other hand, wretchedness--life's painful aspect--softens us up considerably. Knowing pain is a very important ingredient of being there for another person. When you are feeling a lot of grief, you can look right into somebody's eyes because you feel you haven't got anything to lose--you're just there. The wretchedness humbles us and softens us, but if we were only wretched, we would all just go down the tubes. We'd be so depressed, discouraged, and hopeless that we wouldn't have enough energy to eat an apple. Gloriousness and wretchedness need each other. One inspires us, the other softens us. They go together.”  Pema ChödrönStart Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living




Today, the sky is blood red.
It takes me down again. 
The known, the unknown
It takes me down again.
See how it glistens, clings to the horizon
aims steadily, forward, onward
But not for me
for me it flickers fast and then its gone
It stings, it smothers
It wallows, it bites
It takes me down again.





26 comments:

  1. Well, as I keep telling myself, once way down, there's only one way left to go!

    Beautiful quote by Pema. I'm capturing it, thank you.

    Love you!

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    Replies
    1. Pema has a way of popping up when I need her the most. LOVE you back!

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  2. Replies
    1. its interesting what people saw - some saw darkness (in the words and in the picture) and some saw beauty. I'm guessing you're a half full kinda gal!

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  3. Good poem.

    Great Pic.

    Fabulous Monkey :)

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  4. Beautiful photo and words, thanks for posting them!

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  5. SHANNON you said you couldnt write poetry...
    That is a good piece of poetry, fucking good!
    Like I've said before you got chops

    It takes me down again
    Lifting the ground
    Planting my face
    Right in
    It takes me down
    Again
    Lifting the skin
    Off my grin
    It takes me down again


    Wander

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    Replies
    1. :))))))) Wander I must confess, thats all i had in me. Not sure if it is poetry but it was real and it wouldn't let go.

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    2. Shannon that is how it works for me also!
      And yes it's poetry...

      Wander

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    3. Want a little fun romp...go to b ditty to get a can o sprite then come over to my place for a rasher o bacon....

      Wander

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  6. Clings to the horizon....I love that...beautiful imagery Monkey.


    oxoxoxo

    MG

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  7. Lovely poem Shannon. Life does take us down. And when it does it seems like the sun will never rise. Hope your sun is rising.
    Be well my friend.

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    Replies
    1. Myrna, I often think that you are the one blogger I would love to take a walk with. I'm waiting patiently to the sky to turn....

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  8. Ying & Yang my dear Shannon... it takes courage to show our dark side... it takes guts to accept when we are down... it takes faith to know it will pass.

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    Replies
    1. thank you for that gentle reminder OJ. it will pass.... it will pass... it will

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  9. wonderful blog! lovely poem...

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  10. A beautiful sky.

    I’m nominating you to receive the Versatile Blogger Award(check out my new blog post for the rules) – please ignore if you’ve received it before.

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    Replies
    1. ahhhhhhh thank you! no I have not received it before!

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  11. omg I looooove that quote!!!!!

    (and congrats on your award :D)

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  12. Beautiful picture! Nice quote, too!

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Thank you for encouraging my JOY of writing. By reading and commenting you are feeding my soul, stroking my heart, and in the end...making me a better writer.

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Thank You For Encouraging My Joy of Writing
greenmonkeytales@live.com

Shannon E. Kennedy

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Photo by Joan Harrison