Triptych: After The Blue Rain, inspired by Irish poet John O’Donohue, original photograph: an early Winter Solstice Fire 2011, altered in PhotoShop Elements, Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 2012, photos © 2012 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
after the blue rain
Have you walked
the barren landscape
of the chattering wire —
blue rain runs in the silence
of a white hot fire.
-posted on red Ravine, Saturday, January 28th, 2012, gogyohka inspired by Irish poet John O’Donohue after listening to one of his last interviews before his unexpected death in 2008: The Inner Landscape of Beauty with Krista Tippett, On Being (LINK)
When you cease to fear your solitude, a new creativity awakens in you. Your forgotten or neglected wealth begins to reveal itself. You come home to yourself and learn to rest within. Thoughts are our inner senses. Infused with silence and solitude, they bring out the mystery of inner landscape.” — John O’Donohue from Anam Cara (In Memoriam)
I heard this interview Saturday morning while I was still in bed. Amazing. Inspiring. Comforting. I can’t wait to listen to it again (and get his book). Thanks.
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Teri, I just listened to this interview with poet John O’Donohue for a second time! Just as good as the first. It was Liz that introduced me to him. Krista Tippett introduced Liz to him. Liz gave her Mom one of his books a few years ago. Beautiful. Peaceful. And as you say, comforting that there are people like him in the world.
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I caught the last 20 minutes of the program again today. John O’Donohue is telling me what I believe and haven’t figured out how to articulate.
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I feel the same way when I listen to him. He had a gift for articulating the mystical and metaphysical in real world terms. Boots on the ground. When I listen to him, I feel hopeful that we are doing the best we can. His poem he reads at the end, the one that he wrote for his mother after his father died…so elegant.
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QM – I loved this – the visual as well as your poem. Beautiful.
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jude, thank you. I appreciate that. Had fun creating it. Felt inspired.
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Beautiful, QM.
I recently bought Anam Cara, but haven’t read it yet. I really need to move it up in the pile of to-be-read books.
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Robin, thank you. I have not read it either, but really want to after hearing the author speak. What a spiritual man.
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QM,
I’m a bit late on all of your posts, as I was in Hawaii for a little yoga and dance retreat. I love this one most of all, the blue colors with the fire, your reference to John O’Donahue (whom I love!) and your tanka style poem. Can’t wait to hear what inspirations you return with from your retreat.
Teresa
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Teresa, sounds like heaven to be in Hawaii for yoga and dance. What a gift. And thanks for weighing in on the triptych. It made me realize I have not left my blue period yet. It’s great to hear you love John O’Donahue, too. He breaks everything down into bare bones. Life, death, the in-between spaces. Will look forward to seeing what you learned in Hawaii. For me, time has to pass before I can really see what was excavated. And let loose inside. Once I step out into the rat race again, it’s hard to hang on to the silence. That will be tomorrow. Better get some sleep.
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[…] photography, along with alternative processes. I’d like to do more along those lines with my digital photographs. I […]
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