Last night we went to the “Christmas Celtic Sojourn” at the Cutler Majestic theater… A wonderful show (as always!!!). We’ve attended the Christmas Sojourn before, and also the St. Patrick’s Day Sojourn as well. The show is a wonderful collection of music, dance, and poetry. There’s talented musicians, beautiful dancers, adorable children (who can dance like you wouldn’t believe!!) and Brian O’Donovan, host of Celtic Sojourn on WGBH… Really, a great show that I would HIGHLY recommend! I was struck by one of the poems Brian read, and wanted to share it… I’ve had a particularly difficult Christmas season this year, I can usually duck and cover and muscle through this time of year, but this year is more difficult for some reason. This reading during the show really spoke to me. Maybe it will speak to you as well…
Beannacht – A New Year Blessing
~ John O’Donohue ~
On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.
And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The grey window
And the ghost of loss
Gets into you,
May a flock of colours,
Indigo, red, green
And azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays
In the currach of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.
When I was searching to find the words, I discovered that Brian read this last year as well… Here’s a recording of the Blessing from last year’s show… (once this year’s show is recorded, I’ll post the new video).
A Blessing/Pie Jesu from DigiNovations on Vimeo.
And… Then I found a recording of the Beannacht read by the late poet himself on NPR’s Speaking of Faith.
To all my friends and family this Christmas season,
And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.
