Worky Work Week Sanity Saver (Day 6): Poetry

This poem, "Meditation at Five Islands" by Dave Lucas, feels perfect to me. I keep reading it, wishing I had written it and feeling, in a strange way, like I did. The best writing does that: kicks up a spark of recognition inside of you and then spreads out in a warm glow of knowing. I think the best poetry (and prose) feels familiar and fresh at the same time. Lucas's poem was published in the September/October 2012 issue of Orion magazine, which is a beautiful publication with the mission "to inform, inspire, and engage individuals and grassroots organizations in becoming a significant cultural force for healing nature and community."

Meditation at Five Islands

There is no help for it after all,
nothing to keep one's unlived lives
from dragging their heavy chains
along the bottom of the sea,
full fathom five and so forth.
The heart wants what it wants,
which is everything....

[read the whole poem here]

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Worky Work Week Sanity Saver (Day 5): Tranquility

twin lakes park, summer 2012 (iphone; instagram)

 
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Worky Work Week Sanity Saver (Day 4): Over the Rhine

Everything about this mini-film of Over the Rhine is gorgeous, from the production to the scenery to the ideas expressed in it to (of course) the music. I've loved Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler and all things OTR for the last 17 years, and I still adore their music, which always makes me feel more alive, less alone, and more at home. This video (part concert, part documentary, part interview, part inspiration) is one of a series called "The Song That Changed My Life" from BYUtv. Even if you don't know OTR's music, this 25-minute morsel is well worth watching for its beauty and thoughtfulness. (The series also features a handful of other amazing musicians, including Dar Williams and Sixpence None the Richer.)

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Worky Work Week Sanity Saver (Day 3): Photos

I have been slowly scrolling my way through these 50 entries from the National Geographic Photo Contest 2012, all featured on the Atlantic's In Focus with Alan Taylor. I look at about 10 at a time, savoring each one, and leaving some to come back to later. (And when I get through all 50, there are still loads more over on the National Geographic site.) I won't post any of the photos here, since that would be a violation of copyright and bad mojo, but I implore you, go look at the crazy, saturated beauty of this world. (Seriously, I implore you!)

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Worky Work Week Sanity Saver (Day 2): Cabbage is a verb.

Today I learned, thanks to a Facebook status update from writer and friend Rebecca Macijeski, that "cabbage" can be a verb. (She found out from OED's "word of the day" email.) Even better: I privately guessed at its meaning and then looked it up to find out that I was correct.

Cabbage: to steal or filch (www.m-w.com)

This tickled my fancy so much that I decided to cabbage Rebecca's revelation and share it here.

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