Mixtape – Blessings and Perspective
Here is today’s mixtape in the effort to live the words of Goethe, “One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”
1. A Song
Blessings (feat. Jamila Woods) by Chance the Rapper is today’s song choice.
Dear Reader, do I know anything whatsoever about rap? No, no I do not. But it’s poetry, right? So maybe I do. And I like this song which you can read more about yourself, here or here.
2. A Poem
The Blessings of the Old Woman, the Tulip, and the Dog
To be blessed
said the old woman
is to live and work
so hard
God’s love
washes right through you
like milk through a cow
To be blessed
said the dark red tulip
is to knock their eyes out
with the slug of lust
implied by
your up-ended skirt
To be blessed
said the dog
is to have a pinch
of God
inside you
and all the other
dogs can smell it
Ostriker’s forthcoming book is The Holy & Broken Bliss, and this poem above is from The Book of Seventy. I chose the above poem because of the striking image in the second stanza, but also for the reminder to live and work so hard in the first, and the sense of smell evocations in the last. It is just surprise after surprise after surprise and that’s what makes a delightful poem!
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3. A Picture
Or, in this case, four pictures, paintings, by Frances Featherstone. They are from her series “from the perspective of angels.” I discovered her work on good old Instagram. The top down perspective is reminiscent of Lee Price, whose work I also love.
I love that the figures are reading books in most of these. And even the iPhone! I love the perspective, the patterns, the way the fabric is painted. And let me reiterate, the books! A dream. I love that there is the unknowable moment — why is the woman in bed? Is she just luxuriating? or recuperating? Is it self-care? Or escape? Day dreaming? Could be so many things.
Is it a coincidence that my next photo is also top down? :)
As I’ve said in this space many times, I’m a very secular person. Which is perhaps weird coming from someone who recently wrote a novel about angels :) But I was long ago influenced by John O’Donohue’s words in his book of blessings in response to the question, who can bless? He says: “When you bless another, you first gather yourself; you reach below your surface mind and personality, down to the deeper source within you — namely the soul. Blessing is from soul to soul.” He also says, “Wherever one person takes another into the care of their heart, they have the power to bless.” “A blessing is a form of grace; it is invisible. Grace is the permanent climate of divine kindness.”
Kindness, he says, is a form of blessing.
Previous posts on blessing(s).
Notes on the photos: they’re by me of flowers from Larch Grove Farm. Talk about joy! Talk about blessings!
If you enjoyed today’s offerings, consider hitting that tip jar button. And honestly, no worries if not. Thank you for being here!
