Saturday, October 6, 2007

Today's poem - The Shining Moment in the Now by David Budbill


Another wonderful poem from David Budbill. I offered a spring one almost six months ago, and here, his setting is the fall.

This Shining Moment in the Now

When I work outdoors all day, every day, as I do
now, in the fall,
getting ready for winter, tearing up the garden,
digging potatoes,
gathering the squash, cutting firewood, making
kindling, repairing
bridges over the brook, clearing trails in the woods,
doing the last of
the fall mowing, pruning apple trees, taking down
the screens,
putting up the storm windows, banking the house—
all these things,
as preparation for the coming cold...

when I am every day all day all body and no mind,
when I am
physically, wholly and completely, in this world
with the birds,
the deer, the sky, the wind, the trees...

when day after day I think of nothing but what the
next chore is,
when I go from clearing woods roads, to sharpening
a chain saw,
to changing the oil in a mower, to stacking wood,
when I am
all body and no mind...

when I am only here and now and nowhere else—
then, and only
then, do I see the crippling power of mind, the curse
of thought,
and I pause and wonder why I so seldom find
this shining moment in the now.

6 comments:

  1. Hi Nan! What a thought provoking poem! We should all strive to find that shining moment right now. Thanks so much for your comments on my blog. I'm really looking forward to this next chapter. The wall you were asking about (the one with the calendar) is on the left ~ easily viewed while I'm working in the kitchen! ~ Lynda ♥

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  2. I love the poetry of this man! I know what he means about mindless work - so satisfying and lets your mind 'rest'! Thanks, Nan

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  3. Hmmm, I was surprised by that ending. I guess it's because to me, the mind and thought ARE in the now. My mind and thoughts are never so alert as when I'm outside in nature. But that's one of the reasons we like poetry and novels and so on, I think, because we get to see other people's points of view.

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  4. Perfect poem. And I LOVE the need header and leaf picture in your sidebar!! Doesn't feel like fall here yet. It was 86 today. Sigh.

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  5. Hi - I've been enjoying your blog for a month or so now. Thank you so very much! And the reference to David Budbill! Wow.
    I have a request: I was reading the "Cor Blimey, She's a Limey" blog, which I think I got from your site, but it's now by invitation only. If you know this lady, could you please pass on to her my gratitude for her sharing with the 'unknowns' while she did, especially the links to Tinariwen? I've been able to turn otheers on to their wonderful music as a result. I would have thanked her myself, but I have no access any longer to her blog.
    Thanks again for being part of my day! :)

    Beth (et1948@hotmail.com)

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  6. Thanks everyone, I do love his work.

    Beth, her blog is back up today. I'm not sure what was going on, but she's there now, so you can comment.

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