So, Winter is finally here. Up early to catch the sunrise, peering out into the dawn and thinking of all those people on Glastonbury Tor or at Stonehenge doing the same thing like an annual ritual. The days have already felt short and very dark so today will feel no different. Amazingly, on the other side of the world, friends are celebrating the Summer Solstice. Do take a look at Barry's incredible sunrise in Australia. Here in Wales it was dull and cloud heavy. I could happily do a swap!
It's one of those days of the year that I try to record in words. I look for a poem that says what I want to say. That means turning to my favourite poet, the outstanding Alice Oswald and the best collection ever - The Thing in the Gap Stone Stile. I have picked 'Prayer' for 2016:
Here I work in the hollow of God's hand
with time bent round into my reach. I touch
the circle of the earth, I throw and catch
the sun and moon by turns into my mind.
I sense the length of it from end to end,
I sway me gently in my flesh and each
point of the process changes as I watch;
the flowers come, the rain follows the wind.
And all I ask is this - and you can see
how far the soul, when it goes under flesh,
is not a soul, is small and creaturish -
that every day the sun comes silently
to set my hands to work and that the moon
turns and returns to meet me when it's done.
3 comments:
Dull and grey here all day today too but it's a welcome thought that the light will now start to return. Beautiful poem x
Reading Alice Oswald's poem brings it home to me how the events of the year have drawn me away from the natural world. My own health, rehousing my mother-in-law and political upheaval have each contributed. Your December pictures are a reminder that I for one, need to reconnect with the natural rhythms. All the best Lesley for 2017 and keep posting.
Thank you for Alice and the poem Lesley - so so beautiful. Yes, our solstice was the opposite of yours and the waning of the light is almost welcome in a weird way - it is soo so bright so early! The sunrise that morning was brilliant red which I have rarely seen - hence the nudging awake of B! In all of their moods and colours, it is a fine thing to observe the seasons...go well.
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