Sunday, August 17, 2014

Old Poets



"The Old Poets of China"

Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe
that I do not want it. Now I understand
why the old poets of China went so far and high
into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.

~ Mary Oliver, from, Why I Wake Early






Photo by Michael and Patricia Fogden

26 comments:

  1. Poignant. A lot of the old Chinese poets went to the wars as well. If you read Arthur Wales translations it seems that their fears were similar to ours today.

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    1. I look forward to checking out the Arthur Wales translations. History is cyclical, not hard to see when we are willing to open our eyes, and we have been here just long enough to see it more clearly. Thank you, Tony.

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    2. Sorry, that should have read Arthur Waley. Here's an easy link to some of them. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42290/42290-h/42290-h.htm

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  2. Ahhh, I always get a spot of tranquility when I visit here. Today is no different. I love the poem and the picture. :-)

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    1. Happy Sunday morning, DJan. I like sharing them with you ... :)

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  3. Maybe I'm the only one but I found this poem highly amusing! Just loved it. ;)

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  4. Wonderful imagery. I'm working up the energy to emerge from the mists any day now!

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    1. Disappearing INTO the mist is starting to look appealing to me... glad you're back, though ... :)

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  5. Now in my sage-ness of life, I can think of few things better than escaping from busyness -- barbara

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    1. I am finding there is absolutely nothing wrong with escaping ...

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  6. Beautiful. Wish I could stay in the pale mists with them.

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    1. Yes, it does sound like a good place to be ... thanks, Sabra. Nice to see you ...

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  7. Among my favorite Mary Oliver lines.

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  8. Lovely. Old poets never die. I am not a poet; I am a gardener --we don't die either but sometimes we smell like it. An enchanting post!

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    1. I think being a gardener and being a poet are synonymous. And I do know you write some lovely, very thoughtful poetry ... I've read it at your site. Thanks, Geo.

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  9. Lovely, and lest there be any doubt, the old poets of China are not the only ones who are rewarded by going high into the mountains and being enveloped by the pale mist.

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    1. Yes, absolutely true. You have done some disappearing into mountain mist yourself ... :)

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  10. I've printed this poem out -- not via a computer printer, but by hand - on a little card, which I put in my wallet. Whenever someone says to me, "You know, you really ought to...", I'm going to read it. Thanks for making me aware of it.

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  11. I can certainly relate to that feeling! Love the photo!

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    1. Another person who has disappeared into the mountain mist and found all the beauty of the world waiting for him ... :)

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  12. I hadn't read that poem before - and it's so pertinent to these days. I really don't think God designed us to carry all the busyness -- or business either -- of the world on our shoulders. It's hard enough escaping from all the busyness that comes along in one's mind even in the lonely mists.
    Thank you!

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    1. I agree. Life should be much more peaceful and far less stressful.

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