The Lives of the Heart | Cynthia Newberry Martin

thanksgiving

Cynthia Newberry Martin — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:00:45 +0000

from the archives: november 27, 2008

Jane Hirshfield writes:

Having eaten the pears.

Having eaten

the black figs, the white figs. Eaten the apples.

Table be strewn.

Table be strewn with stems,

table with peelings of grapefruit and pleasure.

Table be strewn with pleasure,

what was here to be done having finished.

From “Spell to Be Said upon Departure”

The Lives of the Heart

having eaten

Cynthia Newberry Martin — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:00:57 +0000

Jane Hirshfield writes:

Having eaten the pears.

Having eaten

the black figs, the white figs. Eaten the apples.

Table be strewn.

Table be strewn with stems,

table with peelings of grapefruit and pleasure.

Table be strewn with pleasure,

what was here to be done having finished.

From “Spell to Be Said upon Departure”

The Lives of the Heart

a day in the woods

Cynthia Newberry Martin — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:00:56 +0000

Today, Sunday, October 26th, I’m walking. It’s a day in the woods. An autumn ritual (because of spring snakes). A 23-mile hike, which last year took 11 hours. We choose the date by trying to maximize the chance of cool weather with enough daylight hours. This is tricky. Already we’re down to less than 12 hours. Sunrise in Georgia these days is around 7:45 and sunset, 7:00. And we’re a year older. We’re taking flashlights.

We do it to prove we can. We do it to get away from it all. We do it to work on staying in the moment–to try to make it about the journey and not about being finished. As you might imagine, around mile 18, this becomes very difficult.

So think of us as you go about your day…

I was walking again

in the woods,

a yellow light

was sifting all I saw.

from Changing Everything by Jane Hirshfield

The Lives of the Heart