The greatest treasure we can seek is wisdom that comes from God
Category Archives: ABUNDANCE
It has been a bad season (year), like a frog being in hot water. Hausa.
Wind by Ali Cobby Eckermann
she sits on a rocky ledge
overlooking frog song
puncturing a choked river
at dusk
it is only here native birds sing
their evening lullaby
echoed between red banks
overgrown with weeds
it’s like life slips away in the evening
a resounding of Salientia castanets
soon to fall silent
like flaking moss
she listens for earth song
under the algae and foreign reeds
and just as darkness falls
a fish jumps rippling memory
A NEW SPIRITUAL IDENTITY
One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a Little Black Dress. Karl Lagerfeld
(The spirit likes to dress up)
Mary Oliver
The spirit
likes to dress up like this:
ten fingers,
ten toes,
shoulders, and all the rest
at night
in the black branches,
in the morning
in the blue branches
of the world.
It could float, of course,
but would rather
plumb rough matter.
Airy and shapeless thing,
it needs
the metaphor of the body,
lime and appetite,
the oceanic fluids;
it needs the body’s world,
instinct
and imagination
and the dark hug of time,
sweetness
and tangibility,
to be understood,
to be more than pure light
that burns
where no one is —
so it enters us —
in the morning
shines from brute comfort
like a stitch of lightning;
and at night
lights up the deep and wondrous
drownings of the body
like a star.
Queensland Times (Ipswich) (Qld. : 1909 – 1954), Friday 17 February 1950
Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.” – James Beard
Always give your guest the place of honour in the lodge and at the feast, and serve him in reasonable ways.
Nobody’s ever asked me to a party before, as a friend. Is that why you dyed your eyebrow, for the party? Should I do mine too?
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Tragedy at Mini-Beastie Hall
In Beastington a family lived, who made a “Beasts R You,”
It was a section of a garden – well, a mini-beastie zoo.
The little creatures all moved in and crawled around the wall,
And the lovely name they gave their home was Mini-Beastie Hall.
“Let’s throw a lovely party, if the family gives consent.
We’ll plan a meal, arrange some games, get invitations sent.”
The news got round, the day arrived, guests came to “Beasts R You”.
What a really lovely place to live, it’s exactly like a zoo.”
A ladybird, a grasshopper, slugs and worms came too –
It was such a nice occasion and the party grew and grew.
One brought his own computer – the spider’s name was Fred.
“I’ve had a lovely thought” he said “You can learn to surf the web.”
“A computer’s such an asset for your lovely little park
I’ll teach you how to crawl the web – if you wait until it’s dark!
I don’t want you to bug it, or to introduce a worm –
I’ll only teach you one by one – just wait and take your turn.”
So, one by one they entered: “Just what can we achieve?” –
But a tragic thing then happened, for no-one seemed to leave.
Mini Beastie Hall went quiet, there was no-one on the wall –
Which was really not surprising – Fred had eaten one and all.
Poems about insects and spiders by Josie Whitehead
http://bijlmakers.com/entomology/proverbs_insects_2.htm
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
by Shel Silverstein
So what if nobody came?
I’ll have ALL the ice cream and tea,
And I’ll laugh with myself,
And I’ll dance with myself,
And I’ll sing, “Happy Birthday to me!”
Shel Silverstein
Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language. Henry James
Queensland Times (Ipswich) (Qld. : 1909 – 1954), Monday 27 December 1948,
A wooden rooster crows at midnight. ZEN.
At dusk
a rooster cries dawn;
At midnight
the sun shines bright.
ZEN.
Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 – 1954), Thursday 6 June 1946
SHE wears a bathing suit of blue, And to the beach she goes, With pretty giggles of delight, To dip her dainty toes.
“Surf Siren.” The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 – 1933) 1 Mar 1930: 22. Web. 31 Jan 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21523666>.
Jack Roberton. Lennox Head, NSW.
“The Mother’s Day Swell.”
No-one knows from where it came
This rumour as it were
But for the tribes of the Northern Rivers
Disbelievin’ was a slur
For only once or twice in any surfers life
do not words such as these betray
of a great southern swell
of what size who could tell
was arriving the following day
Now preparations for a challenge ahead vary in personal choice,
And who should say of another man’s way
Can any soul sound his voice?
For the pulse of the ocean played a different beat to those that slumbered that night
Some were serene,
others frantically dreamed,
most tossed and turned ‘til first light.
Dawn revealed an almighty sea,
Of one like never before,
For some she was a temptress,
For some a banchong whore.
From ‘Angas’ to the ‘Shine’,
And all the bays between;
For each man and his indicator,
The sight remains unseen.
This beast of a sea disfigured the shore,
It pounded the rocky heads!
Now decisions take time,
And for many that’s fine,
And some cowered back to their beds.
But there’s always a few who know what to do,
Where to go, and to whom to speak…
And a handful had gathered to hear the old man,
For none had done more time on the peak.
Ol’ Brocky had lived at the point,
For god knows how many years
And he had ridden with the best of ‘em,
Yet he was fightin’ back the tears
“To this task I am no equal,
Yet to the edge I’ve had my trips.
And as all of you know, when it comes you must go,
Or the seas bitterness will remain on ya lips.
I’ve tasted her many flavours,
I’ve seen her in every light;
But this battle is yours my brothers,
And to the ‘button’ you must take the fight.”
A few of the men shuffled to and fro,
Some glanced around at their feet,
“Her morning sickness is over,” he said,
“It’s time for you to meet.
But one thing you must know
before you go confronting such a test;
Wave selection is critical boys,
So paddle for only the best!”
…..T’was the wild man from down Yamba’s way,
That broke the ol man’s spell;
“I’ve waited all my bloody life to challenge such a swell!
I’ll ‘ave a crack at anything,
Just you watch me ‘ave my fun.
An abit o’ advice if yas was thinkin’ twice –
Out there you need a gun!”
Well, Baddy glanced around ,
To see who was in for a show.
A couple o’ locals who knew the point thought they might ‘ave a go.
The Goldy boys looked doubtful,
Their boards were mighty thin……
“If ya think y’all catch one with those,” he scoffed;
“Ya gotta be bloody kiddin’.”…
And there were two big boards that lay away,
Of whose names he hadn’t seen;
And he met the gaze of two young lads; one solid, the other lean.
And over the rumble of another set,
He yelled, “Let class begin…..”
And he noticed that the one lad winked,
The other gave a nod ‘n grin.
Now, half the battle in such a sea,
Is getting out through the foam;
And for some they battled it bravely,
…..’til she turned their heads for home.
But the crowds of people, who lined the hill,
Excitement it did not lack;
For the sea ‘respects’ the patient,
And a handful had made it out back.
Now the worth of many a good surfer
Is in the number of waves that he gets;
Yet it is in the wisdom of the waterman,
That can read between the sets
For the nervous ones caught the first that came,
They were itchin’ for a ride;
But only a few sat out on the peak,
Waiting – for a change in tide.
Few words were exchanged, each deep in thought
It was Baddy who cleared the air;
And he turned to face the two young lads,
That sat to meet his stare.
“There’s a few locals ‘round ere you boys will meet,
An’ me you’ll get to know.
But it don’t get like this too much
So when it comes you must go.
Be sure to ride with style ‘n savvy,
This is no place for tricks.
I know you boys ain’t from round ‘ere
Cos’ i’m unfamiliar with ya sticks.”
“They’re from Hawa….” one began to say
But he stopped in his reply
For the horizon had taken on a different shape
And the sea had become one with the sky.
They started scratchin’ for the horizon
Each deciding where to wait
But Baddy’s experience had told him
Just to resign himself to fate.
He made it over the first two
On the third he got to his feet…..
But his strength in his paddle was lacking
And he knew that he was beat.
He was pitched from crest to trough
‘n it made the people wince
‘n he was washed up onto the beach
And his board ain’t been seen since.
But the two young lads paddled further out
They knew where they wanted to be
For back in the islands they’d heard from a friend
The existence of an outside bombie.
He’d told them of the line-ups
The right conditions were hard to find
“But if ya ever get it on,” he said.
“It’ll be sure to blow your mind.”
It was as they topped the tenth wave
That they knew they’d found their place;
And that the wave after the next one
Was the challenger they would face.
It was the biggest of the set,
T’was the ‘peaking’ of the swell
It’s line reached across the bay
…..It looked like heaven and hell!
It drew its water off the reef
But the two lads held their ground
And it wasn’t until it started to feather
That they turned their boards around
And paddling hard and paddling strong
They stroked into the peak
And a ‘roar’ could be heard as they got to their feet…..
Yet not a spectator was able to speak
They could be seen riding down the face
But were lost then they reached the trough
And by the ‘explosion’ of the white-water
It was assumed they were knocked off
Well moments passed
The anxiety grew
The tension hung in the air….
And it took some time for the mist to clear
To reveal the two lads…..
Still there!
They leant on their inside rails
Each responding to the cue
And crouching low, its energy drawn
Up in to a high line they flew
Well it’s “Mozart” that comes to mind when recalling the line
that they drew before i say more….
for they glided across that feathering wall…
like in a canyon does the great condor.
They seemed to know each others’ style
Criss-crossing with arcing cutbacks
And when one’d soul arch
The other ‘strokin’ the cat’
Their lines resembled rail-road tracks
They rode right outta sight
And still nobody spoke
And it was Baddy who broke the silence
….. “Who the fuck are those blokes?”
“From an island up north,” the old man replied
“Out off Moreton Bay.
I heard they grew up surfin’ outer banks
But where exactly it’s hard to say.
An’ I once ‘eard a rumour of an open lagoon that I believe gets bloody good
An’ there’s some long left only those boys have surfed
And they called it
The ‘Bay of Wood’.”
Little more is known, though much has been said…..
Of that day back in May
And the events have gone down in the archives…
And are still spoken of today
And should you ask the ‘ol man
Who still lives at the point
If he has any stories to tell
He’ll recall the time
The ‘Bribie Boys’ drew the line
On that memorable
‘Big Mothers’ Day Swell’!!
Jack Roberton. 2000
Kittens are born with their eyes shut. They open them in about six days, take a look around, then close them again for the better part of their lives. – Stephen Baker
http://www.catquotes.com/catquotes4.htm
Foreign Kittens
Kittens large and Kittens small,
Prowling on the Back Yard Wall,
Though your fur be rough and few,
I should like to play with you.
Though you roam the dangerous street,
And have curious things to eat,
Though you sleep in barn or loft,
With no cushions warm and soft,
Though you have to stay out-doors
When it’s cold or when it pours,
Though your fur is all askew–
How I’d like to play with you!
A Selection of Kitten Verse by Oliver Herford
At high tide fish eat ants; at low tide ants eat fish. Thailand.
foto – URUNGA January 2014
Mud Crabs, Low Tide
I feel a sharpness under the surface like tin-tacks,
having come down to their soft mud among smells
where most would retch. They sift broken bits,
tuck into their mud; the bay has the sound
that could suck a crab-claw clean: a low-tide restaurant.
Like the guileless yachts, or tunes
of light sociable chopsticks: their lilting suck and clink—
but it stops when you move, when the wind changes,
Judith Beveridge
A crow Perched on a withered tree In the autumn evening. Basho
As The Crow Flies
There’s a place not far, as the crow flies,
In the desert, so hot and so dry
It holds memories so dear and so close,
That I can see it in my mind’s eye
It doesn’t have towns or a city,
It doesn’t have trains or a tram.
It does have wide open spaces
And I see it wherever I am
There are many things to see and do there
But they’re not the ones that are here.
No matter what I find myself doing now
There are times when I journey back there
Where the moon is so large and so brilliant
That it lights up the night time sky
And I find myself reminiscing
About all the times that have gone by
Stella P. Bell
– See more at: http://www.australian-information-stories.com/as-the-crow-flies.html#sthash.5F79Cy5j.dpuf
The temple bell stops but I still hear the sound coming out of the flowers. Basho
foto – flowers in the gardens of davidson’s whaling station just south of eden in twofold bay
My Country
The love of field and coppice
Of green and shaded lanes,
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins.
Strong love of grey-blue distance,
Brown streams and soft, dim skies
I know, but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.
I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!
The stark white ring-barked forests,
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon,
Green tangle of the brushes
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops,
And ferns the warm dark soil.
Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When, sick at heart, around us
We see the cattle die
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady soaking rain.
Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine
She pays us back threefold.
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze …
An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand
though Earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.
©Dorothea MacKellar
So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison
Take me where the fishes swim and shimmer in and out of vision
PAUL KELLY
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/paulkelly/theprettyplace.html
LUCY HOLT
Noon Swim
extract
At the river’s swollen joint we dived in,
suddenly light and jointless
as our six feet mixed the warmed crust of water
with the icy below.
The frangipani I had tucked behind my ear
was presumed drowned until it resurfaced between us
as a beautiful relic.
Matchstick-sized
skinks darted at our every scream as if
powered by sound.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”
― Kahlil Gibran
SPRING AWAKENING BY LILY BAKER
Spring is the magical time
When the rainbow lorikeets hum and the honey suckles
Blossom,
When I actively bounce down the sand dunes
And onto the pea green grass,
The waratahs and the wattles bloom,
And my heart opens to the riot of spring.
I love this time when everything comes to life,
Nature triumphs in the trees, swaying freely in the wind,
Stealing my train of thought
And making my imagination run wild.
I am inspired by this heavenly kingdom,
The tranquillity of dew droplets falling,
Slowly
The mastery of the rain.
I feel connected.
Tree sap trickles down the bark of native gum trees
I examine this , calmly, curiously.
Sometimes the wind whispers to me at dusk
Giving me confidence within my body
I promise
I will always make the most of springtime.
Source: these poems were written by Australian children in masterclasses on The Four Seasons using The Hathorn Technique led by Libby Hathorn.
If you give the loan of your britches, don’t cut off the buttons.
Irish Saying
Buttons and patches and the cold wind blowing,
The days pass quickly when I am sewing.
~Author Unknown
down by the seashore, where life is a little easier!
“The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea.”
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
A cloudy sala often purabens to a fino divvus.
A cloudy morning often changes to a fine day.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/roma/egl/egl08.htm
We are all wanders of this earth; our hearts are full of wonder and our souls are full of dreams.
When you are lonely or frightened, talk to your guardian angel.
Joan Wester Anderson
You can do it out loud or inside your head, your angel can hear you. Ask your angel to be near you, to put his or her hand on your shoulder, to give you courage and protect you.
We must not be forced to explore the universe in search of a new home
because we have made the Earth inhospitable, even uninhabitable.
For if we do not solve the environmental and related social problems
that beset us on Earth – pollution, toxic contamination,
resource depletion, prejudice, poverty, hunger
– those problems will surely accompany us to other worlds.
~ Donald G. Kaufman and Cecilia M. Franz
from ‘Biosphere 2000: Protecting Our Global Environment’ 1996 ~
http://www.sapphyr.net/smallgems/quotes-environment-nature.htm
Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi
With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive
http://www.korero.maori.nz/forlearners/proverbs.html
Dem give yu basket fi
carry water.
meaning: Someone give you a raw deal.
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
— Kahlil Gibran
“I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don’t want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact colour of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift.”
― Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life
I once started out to walk around the world but ended up in Brooklyn, that Bridge was too much for me.”
― Lawrence Ferlinghetti, A Coney Island of the Mind
My father worked at Coney Island. He had a concession on the boardwalk, where you knock over milk bottles with baseballs, which I could never do for my entire childhood. There was a tidal wave at Coney Island when I was a child. Ripped up the boardwalk and did about a million dollars worth of damage, houses and everything. The only thing left standing was those little milk bottles.
“There was a time I thought I couldn’t enjoy rock ‘n’ roll unless I had heroin in me”
Joe Perry of Aerosmith – 1989
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Kahlil Gibrain
http://www.langservices.net/quotes.html
“in the abundance of water, the fool is thirsty.”
http://www.thirdfield.com/new/quotes.html
BOB MARLEY
“The abundant life begins from within and then moves outward to other individuals. If there is richness and righteousness in us, then we can make a difference in the lives of others, just as key individuals have influenced the lives of each of us for good and made us richer than we otherwise would have been.”
Spencer W. Kimball
THE OLD PROVERBIAL RECOVERY 