Feeling the state of flow within another work, the creative work they have share with us, diving deeper within perspective to find our own... Our for nothing more than to just feel the beauty, the secret, the longing another has found within their own selves in hopes that you may find your own rhythm to. May we continue share our stories, our art, our cultures, our flow, for the River carries the spirits of many sharing their beauty along the way...
Thank you so much for this idea, dear Susan! I‘m not familiar with C.S. Lewis writings - apart from what I learned from you sharing, but was so can relate to what is expressed described here. It is remarkable. Longing was/is part of music that literally strikes a cord, I‘ve often asked myself why this was, also, why it was so ‘normal‘ to me and not at all to most people I know, I couldn’t explain it either, as it felt too natural - writing out by hand. . . - my way of learning (languages) and also when studying. Recently, when I spoke to a friend, it appeared to me that she (and most likely, people in general) doesn’t do that anymore. I‘ve this daily routine, of thankfulness journaling at the end of the day, and of course it‘s with pen and paper. . .! Typing is not the same and I‘m curious to try out your Tuesday exercise! Thank you!
With so much horrific stuff filling all our space and making it almost impossible to think about beauty and spells and "those moments in the past," and what everything means or doesn't, I found Mathew Arnold's poem "Longing" where he writes his opening (and concluding lines) "Come to me in my dreams, and then By the day I shall be well again! For so the night will more than pay The hopeless longing of the day." In a short book by Carol Mathews, which I have cited before, her chapter on "longing" concludes with Rumi's writing, "Longing is the core of mystery. Longing itself brings the cure. The only rule is, suffer the pain." In the longing I've found, one continues to find the love, and it is somehow more accessible than ever and even consoling.
"Almost our whole education has been directed to silencing this shy, persistent, inner voice; almost all our modern philosophies have been devised to convince us that the good of man is to be found on this earth." BINGO! Genius in a nutshell. I must go and read more of C.S. Lewis' work! Thank you Susan for sharing this great passage, and I love the idea of rewriting it by hand. Also recovering from covid - which is becoming boringly long...so this is a perfect exercise. Thank you. 🙏🏼
Thank you for this insertion into a cold, snowy (where I am) Tuesday. I am halfway through writing it out with a favourite pen. Does anyone else have a collection of favourite pens? Anyway, this is definitely a meaningful exercise. It takes me back to the days when everything I learned in school was recorded by my own hand. Now of course, with the keyboard use, my handwriting has distinctly deteriorated. Each line he wrote causes me to pause and consider it. The passage beginning with "I am trying to rip open the inconsolable secret in each of you.." Inconsolable secret. I think of those two words...they pack a punch..
"The echo of a tune we have not heard" - this speaks to me quite literally. I was about to look up a tune I read about, and saw your post. Now I think I’ll let myself simmer in the longjng, and save listening for the morning.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was one of my favorite books as a kid. I see now that it’s time for me to visit his works of C.S. Lewis as a grown-up child. Thank you Susan. What a sweet way to end the day!
“They begin by trying to persuade you that earth can be made into heaven, thus giving a sop to your sense of exile in earth as it is.” Genius! I would describe my life as living as that of an expat in the United States, the country I was born in. I’m a stranger in a very strange land all while yearning for another land, another place...
Lewis had a great way of describing the trap of heaven on earth, an especially important trap here in the US. His teachings are very universal as opposed to “Christian.”
I'm battling COVID right now, so I don't have the energy to write out this passage (maybe another day...), but I did read it over and over, remembering how much I enjoy the writing of C. S. Lewis and his insights. I have so many of his books on my shelf, and I just might have to revisit some of them. Thanks for sharing this passage, Susan--it's one of my favorites, too.
I hope you feel better soon, Nancy! (Make sure to get tons of rest, and minimal exercise, even after you feel better, as a way of avoiding Long COVID.)
Thank you, Susan! Starting to feel better and back to functioning. Wish it was all I have to worry about. Heading out today with my daughter to see her neurosurgeon. Scary stuff for a young adult.
Love this and have its been one of my favorite things to do in my journal since I was a teen. As a teen I copied song lyrics that spoke to me (a lot of Jim Morrison, who seems like poet to me).
Susan, these words touched me deeply. I've spent far more than five minutes here, and that's before putting pen to paper. I love the art, plus the synchronicity of a barn owl showing up again for me. Thank you so much for all that you offer to us.
I love this! I'm going to incorporate it into my writing time this year. I'd love to take on mindfully journaling the words of Mary Oliver, my favorite.
I have been taught by Annie Finch ( award winning poet and teacher of meter in poetry ) that to "inhale the rhythms" of a poem or a paragraph like this - say it out loud three times.. and then the magic will occur :)
Thank you for reaching deep into my heart on this cold, dark, January evening. I’m just beginning to read more CSLewis, and this passage caused an emotional reaction. Longing is such a powerful word. And I love those paintings.
What a wonderful suggestion! I will have to practice this later on today. Lewis has that wonderful blend of an economy of words married to poetic imagery in his writing. I would bet that people who enjoy his work would also enjoy Henri Nouwen.
What a soothing exercise Thank you so much for sharing. I have a photographic memory and this is how I used to study at school. Now it makes sense, I will continue this practice , just love it.
Feeling the state of flow within another work, the creative work they have share with us, diving deeper within perspective to find our own... Our for nothing more than to just feel the beauty, the secret, the longing another has found within their own selves in hopes that you may find your own rhythm to. May we continue share our stories, our art, our cultures, our flow, for the River carries the spirits of many sharing their beauty along the way...
Thank you so much for this idea, dear Susan! I‘m not familiar with C.S. Lewis writings - apart from what I learned from you sharing, but was so can relate to what is expressed described here. It is remarkable. Longing was/is part of music that literally strikes a cord, I‘ve often asked myself why this was, also, why it was so ‘normal‘ to me and not at all to most people I know, I couldn’t explain it either, as it felt too natural - writing out by hand. . . - my way of learning (languages) and also when studying. Recently, when I spoke to a friend, it appeared to me that she (and most likely, people in general) doesn’t do that anymore. I‘ve this daily routine, of thankfulness journaling at the end of the day, and of course it‘s with pen and paper. . .! Typing is not the same and I‘m curious to try out your Tuesday exercise! Thank you!
With so much horrific stuff filling all our space and making it almost impossible to think about beauty and spells and "those moments in the past," and what everything means or doesn't, I found Mathew Arnold's poem "Longing" where he writes his opening (and concluding lines) "Come to me in my dreams, and then By the day I shall be well again! For so the night will more than pay The hopeless longing of the day." In a short book by Carol Mathews, which I have cited before, her chapter on "longing" concludes with Rumi's writing, "Longing is the core of mystery. Longing itself brings the cure. The only rule is, suffer the pain." In the longing I've found, one continues to find the love, and it is somehow more accessible than ever and even consoling.
"Almost our whole education has been directed to silencing this shy, persistent, inner voice; almost all our modern philosophies have been devised to convince us that the good of man is to be found on this earth." BINGO! Genius in a nutshell. I must go and read more of C.S. Lewis' work! Thank you Susan for sharing this great passage, and I love the idea of rewriting it by hand. Also recovering from covid - which is becoming boringly long...so this is a perfect exercise. Thank you. 🙏🏼
Thank you for this insertion into a cold, snowy (where I am) Tuesday. I am halfway through writing it out with a favourite pen. Does anyone else have a collection of favourite pens? Anyway, this is definitely a meaningful exercise. It takes me back to the days when everything I learned in school was recorded by my own hand. Now of course, with the keyboard use, my handwriting has distinctly deteriorated. Each line he wrote causes me to pause and consider it. The passage beginning with "I am trying to rip open the inconsolable secret in each of you.." Inconsolable secret. I think of those two words...they pack a punch..
"The echo of a tune we have not heard" - this speaks to me quite literally. I was about to look up a tune I read about, and saw your post. Now I think I’ll let myself simmer in the longjng, and save listening for the morning.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was one of my favorite books as a kid. I see now that it’s time for me to visit his works of C.S. Lewis as a grown-up child. Thank you Susan. What a sweet way to end the day!
“They begin by trying to persuade you that earth can be made into heaven, thus giving a sop to your sense of exile in earth as it is.” Genius! I would describe my life as living as that of an expat in the United States, the country I was born in. I’m a stranger in a very strange land all while yearning for another land, another place...
Lewis had a great way of describing the trap of heaven on earth, an especially important trap here in the US. His teachings are very universal as opposed to “Christian.”
I'm battling COVID right now, so I don't have the energy to write out this passage (maybe another day...), but I did read it over and over, remembering how much I enjoy the writing of C. S. Lewis and his insights. I have so many of his books on my shelf, and I just might have to revisit some of them. Thanks for sharing this passage, Susan--it's one of my favorites, too.
I hope you feel better soon, Nancy! (Make sure to get tons of rest, and minimal exercise, even after you feel better, as a way of avoiding Long COVID.)
Thank you, Susan! Starting to feel better and back to functioning. Wish it was all I have to worry about. Heading out today with my daughter to see her neurosurgeon. Scary stuff for a young adult.
Oh my goodness- take care to you both.
Love this and have its been one of my favorite things to do in my journal since I was a teen. As a teen I copied song lyrics that spoke to me (a lot of Jim Morrison, who seems like poet to me).
Stunning!
Susan, these words touched me deeply. I've spent far more than five minutes here, and that's before putting pen to paper. I love the art, plus the synchronicity of a barn owl showing up again for me. Thank you so much for all that you offer to us.
I love this! I'm going to incorporate it into my writing time this year. I'd love to take on mindfully journaling the words of Mary Oliver, my favorite.
I have been taught by Annie Finch ( award winning poet and teacher of meter in poetry ) that to "inhale the rhythms" of a poem or a paragraph like this - say it out loud three times.. and then the magic will occur :)
Trust me it does :)
Thank you for reaching deep into my heart on this cold, dark, January evening. I’m just beginning to read more CSLewis, and this passage caused an emotional reaction. Longing is such a powerful word. And I love those paintings.
SUCH a powerful word, I agree.
"the inconsolable longing for we know not what"
What a wonderful suggestion! I will have to practice this later on today. Lewis has that wonderful blend of an economy of words married to poetic imagery in his writing. I would bet that people who enjoy his work would also enjoy Henri Nouwen.
Poets and mystics both are powerful at drawing us into this unknowable world
funny I keep meaning to read Henri N. Thanks for the reminder!
What a soothing exercise Thank you so much for sharing. I have a photographic memory and this is how I used to study at school. Now it makes sense, I will continue this practice , just love it.