Monday, December 31, 2012

A Poem for New Year's Eve



New Year Resolve
by May Sarton

The time has come
To stop allowing the clutter
To clutter my mind
Like dirty snow,
Shove it off and find
Clear time, clear water.

Time for a change,
Let silence in like a cat
Who has sat at my door
Neither wild nor strange
Hoping for food from my store
And shivering on the mat.

Let silence in.
She will rarely speak or mew,
She will sleep on my bed
And all I have ever been
Either false or true
Will live again in my head.

For it is now or not
As old age silts the stream,
To shove away the clutter,
To untie every knot,
To take the time to dream,
To come back to still water.

"New Year Resolve" by May Sarton, from Collected Poems 1930-1993.

18 comments:

  1. I liked this one, too! Happy New Year, JoAnn!

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    1. Happy New Year, Audrey! I look forward to reading with you in 2013.

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  2. What a nice thought for today! I need to get my head around how I'm going to change and improve for 2013.

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    1. Sandy - That's exactly what I'm thinking about today. Hope you're enjoying your vacation... love the facebook pictures!

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  3. Happy New Year JoAnn, and thanks for sharing this thought. I love the idea of new years resolutions, however big or small they are - and welcoming in the silence is just wonderful. We all need space and silence to help us through the rigours of our lifestyles. May you find the silence you need too :)

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    1. Thanks, Tamara, and Happy to New Year to you, too. I'm already looking forward to Paris in July :-)

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  4. How beautiful as I spend these last few hours checking in and contemplating :0

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  5. Lovely poem and something I need to embrace right now! Life has been so crazy this past year and especially the last two months. I'm hoping 2013 will be a bit calmer. Happy New Year, JoAnn!

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    1. Happy New Year, Terri! Wishing you a calmer, less stressful 2013.

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  6. Beautiful thoughts on New Year's Day. May 2013 be a rewarding year for you JoAnn! Happy New Year to you and yours!

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    1. Thank you, Arti. Happy New Year to you and yours!

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  7. Gorgeous thoughts! Happy New Year!

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  8. What a wonderful poem, one to return to throughout the year. Happy New Year.

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  9. That is a perfect poem for the ending and beginning of anything! I loved it and would read more from her!

    Happy New Year!!

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  10. What a lovely poem for the new year. It also seems fitting for you in light of your, hopefully, sunny vacation.

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  11. This is a wonderful, wonderful poem which says exactly why I ended the blog. I needed to 'let silence in' as 'old age silts the stream.' It was truly 'now or not.' Mary Oliver consistently speaks such truth. And all we have to do is listen.

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