The first step toward rejuventation begins with accepting where you are and exposing your poverty, frailty, and emptiness to the love that is everything. Don't try to feel anything, think anything, or do anything. With all the goodwill in the world you cannot make anything happen. Don't force prayer. Simply relax in the presence of the God you half believe in and ask for a touch of folly.

The Ragamuffin Gospel

things about abroad...

(www.whiteshadows.co.nz)

when i was at an outside cafe in France a few years back, my family and i engaged in conversation with these two men at the neighboring table. these two men happened to own a bed and breakfast in new zealand: white shadows. captivating. they gave us their card and invited us to join them in new zealand. i am excited to have more of these conversations and connections in the next 4 months. or maybe i should say i crave them...

the trick of finding what you didn't lose

(existing's tricky:but to live's a gift)

the teachable imposture of always

arriving at the place you never left

(and i refer to thinking)rests upon

a dismal misconception; namely that

some neither ape nor angel called a man

is measure by his quote eye cue unquote.

Much better than which, every woman who's

(despite the ultramachinations of

some loveless infraworld)a woman knows;

and certain men quite possibly may have

shall we say guessed?"

"we shall" quote gifted she;

and played the hostess to my morethanme

(e.e. cummings)

(coolhunter.net)

(weheartit.com)

I love the airport. There are like chairs.

mike birbiglia

Gravity

Something always brings me back to you.
It never takes too long.
No matter what I say or do I'll still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone.

You hold me without touch.
You keep me without chains.
I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your rain.


Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.
But you're on to me and all over me.

You loved me 'cause I'm fragile.
When I thought that I was strong.
But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone.


I live here on my knees as I try to make you see that you're everything I think I need here on the ground.
But you're neither friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go.
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down
You're on to me, on to me, and all over...
Something always brings me back to you.
It never takes too long.

sara bareilles

(weheartit.com)

Like this lone seashell, sometimes I wonder how I stumbled upon this shore. How could things have gotten to this point so quickly? God is so beautiful and so amazing, but being a mere mortal, most of the time, I do not understand his purposes...and if I ever do, it is usually in hindsight. I wonder how life gets so complicated, and I wonder why I am continuously in the same situations that seem positively ridiculous and petty. Maybe I am not listening? Maybe I am not placing enough of my faith in Him? Micro-managing my life? Maybe...definitely. But then that's why God is so cool. He continuously delivers us and saves us from ourselves.

She walks in Beauty, by Lord Byron

"SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY"
by: George Gordon (Lord) Byron (1788-1824)

SHE walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!"

O Solitude! if I must with thee dwell,

O SOLITUDE! if I must with thee dwell,
Let it not be among the jumbled heap
Of murky buildings; climb with me the steep,-
Nature’s observatory - whence the dell,
Its flowery slopes, its river’s crystal swell,
May seem a span; let me thy vigils keep
’Mongst boughs pavillion’d, where the deer’s swift leap
Startles the wild bee from the fox-glove bell.
But though I’ll gladly trace these scenes with thee,
Yet the sweet converse of an innocent mind,
Whose words are images of thoughts refin’d,
Is my soul’s pleasure; and it sure must be
Almost the highest bliss of human-kind,
When to thy haunts two kindred spirits flee.

John Keats.

One of my favorites by Keats.

You say you love

I.

You say you love; but with a voice

Chaster than a nun's, who singeth

The soft Vespers to herself

While the chime-bell ringeth -

O love me truly!

II.

You say you love; but with a smile

Cold as sunrise in September,

As you were Saint Cupid's nun,

And kept his weeks of Ember.

O love me truly!

III.

You say you love - but then your lips

Coral tinted teach no blisses.

More than coral in the sea -

They never pout for kisses -

O love me truly!

IV.

You say you love; but then your hand

No soft squeeze for squeeze returneth,

It is like a statue's dead -

While mine to passion burneth -

O love me truly!

V.

O breathe a word or two of fire!

Smile, as if those words should burn be,

Squeeze as lovers should - O kiss

And in thy heart inurn me!

O love me truly!

John Keats.

DeVotchKa

DeVotchKa is a four-piece multi-instrumental and vocal ensemble that fuses Romani, Greek, Slavic, Bolero, Mariachi music with American punk and folk roots. They take their name from the Russian word devotchka (де́вочка), meaning "girl". Based in Denver, Colorado, the quartet is made up of Nick Urata, who sings and playstheremin, guitar, bouzouki, piano, and trumpet; Tom Hagerman, who plays violin, accordion, and piano; Jeanie Schroder, who sings and plays sousaphone and double bass; and Shawn King, who plays percussion and trumpet.

(from wikipedia)

I recommend them. Really interesting music. Creative.

The Moods

Time drops in decay,

Like a candle burnt out,

And the mountains and the woods

Have their day, have their day,

what one in the rout

Of the fire-born moods

Has fallen away?

W.B. Yeats

Barcelona- Please Don't Go

All those arrows you threw, you threw them away
You kept fallin in love, then one day
When you fell, you fell towards me
When you crashed in the clouds, you found me

Oh, please don't go
I want you so
I can't let you go
For I lose control

Get these left handed lovers out of your way
They look hopeful but you, you should not stay
If you want me to break down and give you the keys
I can do that but I can't let you leave

Oh, please don't go
I want you so
I can't let go
For I lose control

i carry your heart

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of they sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

e e cummings