Lesson of The Persimmon:
Sleek and beautiful. ‘Patience. Patience. Patience.’ She chants like a mantra to the universe. Waiting for the bitter tang of this hard fruit to wane, slowly becoming the ripe, sweetest pudding. It’s the becoming that resonates with me. Being patient as things change below the surface of my being and our collective being. Often I can’t see it or possibly even have a sense of knowing what is ripening. But everyday, I give the slightest of squeeze to see how it’s coming along.
It is worth the wait.
As I rush through the December Holidays and the incoming excitement of the New Year, turning the page, the promise of dreamt futures, I have often lost the beauty of standing by. Beauty in watching and waiting. The subtlety of it all can easily be wasted if one is looking for bigger, prettier things to latch on to. I have made a point lately to pay attention of how I respond to the ‘lesser’ things and activities. I can glean more insight into myself through the quieter activities.
Small containers of joy for me lately: writing letters, creative play with found objects and collaging, winter walks in fallen leaves, a lovers smile, daytime reading, solo dance parties after sitting too long, appreciating the rain, all the bird activity at the feeders lately, vacation dreaming on the internet, working on this old house, writing… oh and persimmons.
In what ways do you watch yourself change, seasons turn, beauty unfold?
Below is a little video poem set to images of mine. It’s prehistoric, rough around the edges and ends abruptly. Enjoy the vagrant, drifting aspects of it all.
Anis Mojgani, Poet Laureate of Oregon.
I believe ‘god’ is everywhere. I mean have you seen the Hubble Space Telescope photos?
It is all so intricately connected to ourselves it’s remarkable. I have such an emotional response to these photos. If the world could look at these with awe and attachment, would we forget the wars, power struggles and success ladders, and general meanness among us?
What is OUT THERE is WITHIN US.
As we use stars throughout winter, as symbols and decorations, let us remember our own internal stardust.
“And maybe it's the time of year
Yes, and maybe it's the time of man
And I don't know who I am
But life is for learning
We are stardust, we are golden
We are billion-year-old carbon
And we got to get ourselves
Back to the garden”
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
The Veil Nebula is one of the most spectacular supernova remnants in the sky, extending 110 light-years across and covering an area of sky six times larger than the full moon.
Check out available ART books on my website, take a peek!