Wislawa Szymborska was a Polish poet and Nobel Laureate. I went looking for a poem this morning — wishing brevity of expression to match up, or nurture, what is in me and those I love that are both near and far.
I found one, within a collection that I have, Leading From Within. An ear-marked page, from a time long ago, a first reading of this poem.
I quite love this book, Leading From Within. For all of the pointing that it does to growing and nurturing a resilient and imaginative interior.
Enjoy.
A Note
Wislawa Szymborska
Life is the only way
to get covered in leaves,
catch your breath on the sand,
rise on wings;
to be a dog,
or stroke its warm fur;
to tell pain
from everything it’s not;
to squeeze inside events,
dawdle in views,
to seek the least of all possible mistakes.
An extraordinary chance
to remember for a moment
a conversation held
with the lamp switched off;
and if only once
to stumble on a stone,
end up drenched in one downpour or another,
mislay your keys in the grass;
and to follow a spark on the wind with your eyes;
and to keep on not knowing
something important.
Yum. “…keep on not knowing something important…” It is such kind orientation. And good company.
Grateful.
Today I knew I needed to write a comment after reading your post. The poem reminds me how I live my life, at least much of the time. It reminds me how I discover Joy.
Your post nudged me to go find the book, Leading From Within, on my book shelf. The book shelf is quite small now as it holds the books I held onto while on the journey of purging and downsizing over the past few years. I took down the book and remembered how it came to me in the years following a conference in Halifax hosted by Shambhala. That conference opened different ways of thinking, perceiving and living through the quality of presenters and content. Gratitude.