In honor of National Poetry Month, and Mary Oliver, our beloved national poet who passed away in January, I will be posting one of her poems each evening in April. I am hoping to follow in the footsteps of Sarah Clarkson and read a poem on Instagram Live in the evenings as well…Follow me on Instagram to tune in.
Over the weekend I finished a couple of books and picked up my stack from the library. The librarian was extremely happy to see me since my books were taking up space on her small shelves. My local library is tiny and I love it! The friendly librarian knows me by name and I don’t even need my library card. Every time I go through the doors my spirits are instantly uplifted and I always walk out with an armload of books. This takes me back to my childhood when my mom would take me and my siblings to our little local library in Brooklyn every week.
Night Tigerby Yangsze Choo was a book I saw at Barnes and Noble a month ago and was thrilled when I placed it on hold and it arrived at the library so soon! I know absolutely nothing about this book but did notice there was a giveaway of this book on Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Book Club Instagram.
I read about Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon in Kirkus Reviews. A good part of my reading is for entertainment, but I also read to educate myself and to see the world through the eyes of others; particularly others who are different from me and who have lived a very different life from my own.
Listen to the Marriage: A Novel by John Osborne was a book I heard about on Roxanne Coady’s Just the Right Book Podcast. This book is a story of a married couple, newly separated, who are going to marriage counseling. The interesting thing about this book is that it’s told through the marriage therapist’s eyes.
I can’t actually remember where I first heard about The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, but it was on a recommended list. (That’s the trouble with listening to so many bookish podcasts and reading book reviews.) It is set in Britain after the Romans left and that is all I know. Since I haven’t read a historical novel in quite a while I’m hoping I’m in for a treat.
I’m really looking forward to Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie. This is the latest in this mystery series set in London. It follows the investigations of two detectives: Gemma Jones and Duncan Kincaid. These two are lovable, well-developed characters and it is worth following their stories. Also, the mysteries are solid and don’t end abruptly or in a disappointing muddle.
Now it is your turn: please share what treasures you found at the library lately!
In honor of National Poetry Month, and Mary Oliver, our beloved national poet who passed away in January, I will be posting one of her poems each evening in April. I am hoping to follow in the footsteps of Sarah Clarkson and read a poem on Instagram Live in the evenings as well…Follow me on Instagram to tune in.
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.
In honor of National Poetry Month, and Mary Oliver, our beloved national poet who passed away in January, I will be posting one of her poems each evening in April. I am hoping to follow in the footsteps of Sarah Clarkson and read a poem on Instagram Live in the evenings as well…Follow me on Instagram to tune in.
Moon and Water
I wake and spend
the last hours
of darkness
with no on
but the moon.
She listens
to my complaints
like the good
companion she is
and comforts me surely
with her light.
But she, like everyone,
has her own life.
So finally I understand
that she has turned away,
is no longer listening.
She wants me
to refold myself
into my own life.
And, bending close,
as well all dream of doing,
she rows with her white arms
through the dark water
which she adores.
This poem can be found in the collection, Evidence.
In honor of National Poetry Month, and Mary Oliver, our beloved national poet who passed away in January, I will be posting one of her poems each evening in April. I am hoping to follow in the footsteps of Sarah Clarkson and read a poem on Instagram Live in the evenings as well…Follow me on Instagram to tune in.
Broken, Unbroken
The lonely
stand in the dark corners
of their hearts.
I have seen them
in cities,
and in my own neighborhood,
nor could I touch them
with the magic
that they crave
to be unbroken.
Then, I myself,
lonely,
said hello to
good fortune.
Someone
came along
and lingered
and little by little
became everything
that makes the difference.
Oh, I wish such good luck
to everyone.
How beautiful if is
to be unbroken.
This poem can be found in the collection Evidence.
Snow on Cayuga Lake, April 1st. I zoomed in with my phone, so the quality is horrible, but at least you get an idea of what it’s like in the Finger Lakes this time of year.
Here is where you will find my sources of inspiration this week. It could be in the form of podcasts, books, blogs, and/or films/shows.
I found three different episodes on Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger podcast that contained helpful advice on business and marketing for email andInstagram. I started implementing her tips for Instagram right away. Now I need a day to revamp my website and plan out an email marketing campaign.
The John Maxwell Leadership Podcast had a two part series called A Winner’s Daily Mindset that encouraged and motivated me. Here’s Part One. (One thing I dislike about this podcast is the commentary from the two show hosts after John speaks. They just drag the show out for another fifteen to twenty minutes rehashing his content like a couple of Southern-accented sports commentators with bad grammar. Leave the talking to John, boys!)
Krista Tippett interviewed Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach for On Being Podcast, discussing the work Glennon is doing with Love Flash Mobs and Abby’s new book Wolfpack,which will be released Tuesday April 9th (can’t wait!).
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Oh, and it’s National Poetry Month! I will be releasing a post each day at 5pm ET called “Evening Poetry” in which I share one of Mary Oliver’s poems. Mary Oliver is a good place to start for people who think they don’t like poetry. I say “think they don’t like” because there is definitely poetry in the world for everyone. Give poetry a chance! Check out the Poetry Foundation’s websitefor poetry galore, head to your local library, and buy a book of poetry at your local bookstore. I received a new book of poetry for Christmas entitled What Have You Lost by Naomi Shihab Nye and will be sharing about it quite soon!
In honor of National Poetry Month, and Mary Oliver, our beloved national poet who passed away in January, I will be posting one of her poems each evening in April. I am hoping to follow in the footsteps of Sarah Clarkson and read a poem on Instagram Live in the evenings as well…Follow me on Instagram to tune in.
I have a stack of my own To-Be-Read books and an even taller stack waiting for me at the library, but I am only reading four at the moment. I just noticed that that three out of four authors are of Irish heritage…interesting!
Although I’ve been reading Colm Toibin’s The Masterfor several nights, I didn’t realize until last night that it’s about Henry James. It is beautiful: poetic and imaginative, and told by a true Irish storyteller. Have you had the opportunity to read anything by this author? Last year, I read his book Nora Websterand fell in love with the characters, the Irish landscape and style of speaking, the sad story, and her strong, surviving spirit.
David Whyte‘s The Heart Aroused has been on my unread bookshelf for a few years. Since it’s about corporate America, and I don’t have any experience in that arena, at first glance it seems a bit irrelevant to my life. But since I love all of David Whyte’s writing–poetry and prose–and once I dug into it, I realized the message is for all of us. The subtitle is “Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America”. David works with large companies, focusing on “the conversational nature of leadership. If you haven’t already, listen to his TED Talk “A Lyrical Bridge Between the Past, Present, and Future”.
John O Donahue left this world too soon. A friend of David Whyte’s, everything he wrote was pointing his readers toward beauty, imagination, curiosity, and wonder. His book Walking in Wonder was published posthumously and contains talks he gave. I don’t want to miss one word this man left for us! However, if you like his work, then read my favorite book of his Beauty: The Invisible Embrace .
This is Marketing is Seth Godin’s latest book and everything he writes is something every business owner, entrepreneur, and worker in today’s economy needs to read. Seth has always thought and spoken outside the box and his ideas might take a while too assimilate. He speaks much on generosity, doing good work, picking yourself, and shipping your work ( as opposed to perfectionistic procrastination.)
In honor of National Poetry Month, and Mary Oliver, our beloved national poet who passed away in January, I will be posting one of her poems each evening in April. I am hoping to follow in the footsteps of Sarah Clarkson and read a poem on Instagram Live in the evenings as well…Follow me on Instagram to tune in.
Yellow
There is the heaven we enter
Through institutional grace
and there are the yellow finches bathing and signing
In honor of National Poetry Month, and Mary Oliver, our beloved national poet who passed away in January, I will be posting one of her poems each evening in April. I am hoping to follow in the footsteps of Sarah Clarkson and read a poem on Instagram Live in the evenings as well…Follow me on Instagram to tune in.
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Life of Kim 