16 August 2012

Earth's Talisman




Earth can make of us broken ones

flowers and wear us as a charm,

choose to adorn herself with some,

to be admired, to enchant,

give delight, ward evil, bring calm.

Good luck flows or magic powers.

This turns our mind around, spreads balm:

earth's talisman, us her flowers.



My friend, Ruth, has re-surfaced quietly and started another blog, Washed Stones, inspired by one of Rilke's poems, Not Poor. Today she gave the translation by her friend, Inge, who speaks German, of one of his lines to the effect that earth adorns herself with us like a talisman or charm. I love this thought, actually got flipped inside- out by it, and explored it for the prompt by Gemma Wiseman, offered by Gay Reiser over at dVerse Poets to write a Huitain. She tells how so check it out.




40 comments:

  1. I love,love, love the idea of us being earth's talismans. Nice.

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  2. Wonderful hymn to nature's healing.

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  3. Lovely lovely thoughts here. Flower Power! hehe

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  4. What a view from your header "window"! I actually didn't write today's article but I did present it. Gemma Wiseman so kindly gives us this new form today and it's new to me as well. I love what the double prompt has given you to write today..very novel, clever and well crafted. Thank you!

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    1. That view is from my balcony here in Italy and I never tire of it. Thanks for the info about Gemma and her prompt which I enjoyed once I had the inspiration from Ruth's post. What an altogether amazing concept!

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  5. nice...you capture a bit of the magic of nature in this...and us as her talismans...smiles...very enchanting and cool huitan...

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    1. It is enchanting that this is a whole new thought said for the first time by Rilke to make us see in a new way. At its best, poetry does that.

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  6. Us broken ones...just about sums a lot of we humans up on this planet right now. I love Mother Nature' power but simplicity and, the hope in this. Lovely write.

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    1. Yes, it lets us broken ones see ourselves differently and brings us hope.

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  7. Beautiful. And never heard of a huitain. I get the 8 lines part, though, thanks to all that french. Love it!

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    1. 8 lines with 8 syllables each and a particular rhyme scheme. Cool.

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  8. Oh the gifts of nature are a treasure, lovely poem and what a glorious picture!

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  9. I especially like your first two lines.

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  10. Lovely, Mary. As I read this, I couldn't help but think back to when we were just beginning to attempt poetry. and now look!

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  11. to be admired, to enchant,

    give delight, ward evil, bring calm..... so true...love how you put this...and great use of the form as well..

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    1. Having so few syllables disciplined me in a good way.

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  12. Really lovely poem - uses the form like a charm. k .

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  13. Mary, I love what you bared here from your inside-out self. The almost magical power of who we really are, in our broken and bare being, is thrilling. Thank you for carrying light from Rilke to this new-to-me poetry form so movingly.

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    1. Your post got me so excited that I wanted to write about it. If only we could see our power, our magic.

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  14. You always inspire me with a new and different way of seeing. This was exceptional in its take on the world and us being the adornment. Thank you for the fine post. :-)

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    1. I love that I got inspired by Ruth who got inspired by Inge who got inspired by Rilke - and that's how it goes!

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  15. A new form, a new sentiment!
    Lovely.

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    1. It's one of the wonders of the blog-o-sphere for me.

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  16. Replies
    1. Thank you, MZ, I go to school on your writing.

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  17. Beautiful poem and photo! Sorry i ahven't been visiting ..life has been hectic. It was nice to slow down and reflect on you post today!

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    1. I took the photo in France at a particularly beautiful park. Thanks for stopping by from your oh so busy world of NYC (which BTW I spent the first year of my marriage) to the slower paced world of Italy and retirement. But, it's alright, we move on and make new choices. Peace.

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  18. As soon as I read the first line I thought of Ruth's piece and that discussion at her new blog--what a lovely addition to the conversation--the form has a lot of balance to it, which fits the whole idea very nicely. (And of course, the photo is just stunning.) Enjoyed it very much.

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    1. She was my inspiration. I like that we have these conversations with one another stimulating ideas all around. The photo was one among many stunners in Paris. What a beautiful city.

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  19. Love the idea that the broken ones may become flowers! An alternative and parallel to the phoenix image of legend! Lovely!

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    1. Yes, in both we emerge from brokenness, or our brokenness transforms. Thanks for a great prompt.

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