in english we say
‘one day at a time.’
in poetry we say
‘i can hold no more than the breath i am breathing right now.
i am not thinking about tomorrow because i am still living in today.
anything beyond this very moment does not ease my troubles, it disrupts my peace.’
-ullie-kaye
—
image credit jefferson township, michigan, usa – spring
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I didn't have my glasses on.... 
The perfect explanation of poetry, Beth.
Best wishes, Pete.
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thanks, pete. i thought it was a good example of the difference that language can make
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Mary Oliver,
“Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”
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i love her poetry and, yes –
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❤️
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<3
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This is so soft and grounding. I love how it takes something simple and stretches it into something you can actually feel. That line about not holding more than the breath you’re in… it really stayed with me. It’s such a gentle reminder to stop rushing ahead and just be here. Honestly, it feels like peace in words.
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I like this quote/line by my Texas poet friend, Robert Okaji
“From every moment, a second emerges” …
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oh, i love this
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Oh, and my friend Robert is still alive … his poem from two weeks ago …
“The Over/Under”
Should I hang my head in shame for not dying
yet? This business of terminal disease is
much misunderstood. On the one hand, my days,
like poker chips stacked in a wobbly column,
keep shrinking, a disc at a time. No prop bets,
no parlays offset the odds. Yes, it is what
it is (can anyone say that with a straight
face?), but truthfully, I might prefer a firm
date to this open-ended question. I feel
good. Today. Which should be enough, but isn’t.
And tomorrow? There’s always that other hand…
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very powerful
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Yes, but he’s batting on regardless
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‘Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life’ — Buddha
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yes, perfect
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The wonderful thing about poetry is we seldom encounter runon sentences – and for good reason! A good reminder about living in the moment too!
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bonus –
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Sometimes, we live in a whirlwind of miracles. Poetry is the camera.
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beautifully said
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That’s poetry!
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…guess who?
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it actually says your name this time! bob? just kidding, keith
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oh no, here we go )
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I think that’s a trillium!
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in it’s natural habitat in the woods! good eye
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Beautiful sentiment. I wish I was naturally more poetic.
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same –
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This is a great quote
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<3
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“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift — that’s why it is called the present.” (often attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt)
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love it!
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Those are indeed poetic translations, beautifully yet clearly put.
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Terrific quote, Beth. Worth writing on a post-it note and sticking on the mirror. 😊
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good to remember
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Wow…such wisdom right there…anything beyond the now…disrupting peace…
Agree, agree…but so hard to remember! ❤️❤️❤️
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it sure is at times..
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This shows the power of poetry. Words matter.
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absolutely, yes
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🥰🕊️
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Oooh! That’s good
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<3
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And that’s a mic drop moment….
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My first poet crush was ee cummings…always grateful for poetry.
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nice – yes, something about it –
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Beautiful 😍
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<3
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My hopes for the tomorrows is what gets me through the todays.
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glad it’s not the yesterdays dragging you back –
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Wonderful words!
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how wonderful! I love language!! xx
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Lovely poem Beth ❤️
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Ah, but Aesop told the other side of the story in “The Grasshopper and the Ant,” which points out the downside of not preparing for what’s coming:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ant_and_the_Grasshopper
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yes, his lesson was that knowing what might come and planning brought peace
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Am I to believe ullie-kaye never got excited going to bed the night before Christmas?
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she was deep in the moment of peacefully getting excited for moment.
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Lovely way of saying it. Poetry does just that.
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it does, it’s a special language when words are rearranged
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Yes!
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