Saturday, September 11, 2010

flour on my toes

.

 
 from Rainer Maria Rilke

For there is a boundary to looking.
And the world that is looked at so deeply
wants to flourish in love.
 
 
 
 


















Work of the eyes is done, now
go and do heart-work
on all the images imprisoned within you; for you
overpowered them: but even now you don't know them.
.
Learn, inner man, to look on your inner woman,
the one attained from a thousand
natures, the merely attained but
not yet beloved form. 
.

It is our task to imprint this temporary, perishable earth into ourselves so deeply, so painfully and passionately, that its essence can rise again, "invisibly," inside us. We are the bees of the invisible. We wildly collect the honey of the visible, to store it in the great golden hive of the invisible.


The bird is a creature that has a very special feeling of trust in the external world, as if she knew that she
is one with its deepest mystery. That is why she sings in it as if she were singing within her own depths;
that is why we so easily receive a birdcall into our own depths; we seem to be translating it without
residue into our emotion; indeed, it can for a moment turn the whole world into inner space, because we
feel that the bird does not distinguish between her heart and the world's.

Rilke
Letter to Lou Andres-Salome February 20, 1914 

I have flour on my toes. Just looked down.
.
Made Pita Bread with oregano basil rosemary and olives, warm with butter.
.
Last week I posted an empty blog.
Was trying cell phone posting the night Hurricane Earl came through. A bit inland, away from computer, everyone in Hurricane Party mood after two days of tying down the hatches, watching swirling mass warnings, beaches evacuating people. We expected six feet of water pushed by wind and rain up through the Sounds. Thankfully All softened as the evening came, except people who got giddy.
I wonder where my words and images blew off to?
 .
Am hoping those winds inch some new treasures in while beach combing this week.  
tobacco leaf almost ready for harvest
.
I met a deaf man the other day while photographing. He haunts me. Had no front teeth, needed a bath, and as i learned had never touched a camera in his life. I began to understand his vocalizations. 
Not ready to talk about him, only this: he etches something shadowy inside me as if with acid. I begin to think we so privileged to have technology and multi layered ways of communicating. Blessed beyond understanding to express and create.  I for one take so much of these gifts for granted.
.

.
Song for wedding dance I'll be your lover too

Van Morrison: Sweet Thing (I will walk and talk in gardens all wet with rain). Beside You.  Astral Weeks . One of my favorite albums, from 1968. I was a wee one then. 

.
watching this stuff. Conjunction Junction: I loved this as a child. Interjections.  (links to more left side page.)
.
.
Peace to all who enter here. Contentment, sweet o'sweet, too.
Thank you. 

18 comments:

Roger Gauthier said...

It seems to me that I haven't seem you for some time. It's true that I was away from the blogs for a certain period... whatever.

This is a very interesting post indeed. I love it. The photography is lovely, specially the house... keep up the good work.

Rogter

ArtPropelled said...

Pondering and wondering through this post. Yes I did wonder where your last post went to :-) but am now immersed in this one.... the words and the images.
Go and do heart-work on all the images imprisoned within you ..... more food for thought.

Blue Sky Dreaming said...

I've been waiting for this post and here it landed with my morning coffee...each word feels like an easy blessing and the photos are perfect. Nice to hear Van Morrison again.

Caterina Giglio said...

was wondering too what happened to your post. such an inspiring post, this one......the photos and the words are so dreamy and now after giving you these hellos and hugs I am off to do Heart Work... muah!

Ursula Achten said...

lalalaaa, I've got shoes with flowers under there sole, so I'm able to imprint a flower trace into the soil...

These Rock-grammar-lessons are so much fun I don't think we've got something smiliar in Germany...

Your post makes me very happy!!!

Thanks for Mr Rilke, I didn't read his letters yet...will do!

Heart work...like digesting beauty..

Love to you!

Jo Spittler said...

Thank you, Rilke is a favourite. We are in Germany here and a group of people and actors composed music to his poetry. Every single poem of the 30 or more ones chosen goes so well to the music. The Rilke project is a thrill every time I listen to it. How nice to see it all here at your place.
I wish I had more time to keep up my own work. I have little minutes inbetween tending to our lovely 1 year old girl.
Love always.
Jo

Christine Clemmensen said...

Blog post flying :-) I wonder which continent it is passing right now...
Great music, great words and funny cartoons :-)
Have a sweet day

Crafty Green Poet said...

wonderful interlacing of Rilke's words with your photos. Beautiful.

Thanks for the links, too, much to browse!

Mary-Laure said...

I love Rilke, thank you for this poem. And your pita bread sounds just delicious!

ELK said...

glad all is well now ..weather can be amazing when it hits..your words rilkes as well sing like the wind today

rivergardenstudio said...

I wish I had seen your post before it flew away in the wind. But this one is a beauty. Some phrases are unforgettabl: doing heart-work on the images within you.
My images are of a dear little boy who goes away to college tomorrow.
Oh and the words from Rilke about the mysterious trusting bird. I am listening to the doves now. And watching the geese fly down river on a cloudy morning.
I love your photographs here, so haunting, and the storm story. I hope you find some beautiful beach treasures... roxanne

Anonymous said...

wow, echo and the bunnymen! I ued to serve them beer at the pub they played in.

I love the words by Rilke... and the deaf man... I've just finished "reading" read listened to via audiobook) Cormac Mc cathy's "the Road". Those words and the meeting of the man sounds like a scene from that desolate place.

Leslie Avon Miller said...

"...all the images imprisoned within you; for you overpowered them: but even now you don't know them."

That explains...my recent studio days...unknown images appearing again and again. They want to be...and I don't know them really.

Beautiful post.

layers said...

I love to read Rilke and look at your beautiful images.

Karin Bartimole said...

so much thoughtfulness, fullness in the words and images you've chosen and share. i'm taking all in, feeling the heart connection, and imagining the warm taste of herbs and fresh pita bread. mmmmm

janie said...

Beautiful writing by Rilke, who I'm afraid I hadn't heard of, so thank you for a lovely introduction.
I'm actually listening to Van the man's Moondance at the moment.
I realised that I wanted my baby girl to hear some of the music that I grew up listening to, so I had to buy a few cds cause I've never bothered to have my own collection ,something about being the middle child and listening to whatever.
Anyway, it is money well spent, we are now dancing every day to Elvis, the Beatles, Van Morrison, Queen, Mozart, Police, Bob Marley to name but a few:)

merci33 said...

and the world that is looked at so deeply wants to flourish in love.

ummmmmmmmm.
so beauteaous...as is this entire post.

hugs'

Laura said...

I don't know how you found my blog, but I am so glad you did, and that you left a note...a bread crumb trail leading to your sacred space here.

"It is our task to imprint this temporary, perishable earth into ourselves so deeply, so painfully and passionately, that its essence can rise again, "invisibly," inside us."

this is imprinting in me....these words as I rest in temporary pain that will shift to joy in time...and sorrow again in a blink...I love your house....so much like the one I posted today...amazing!

I'll be back...to visit again.
gentle steps