I was sleeping, and being comforted
By a cool breeze, when suddenly a gray dove
From a thicket sang and sobbed with longing,
And reminded me of my own passion.
I had been away from my own soul so long,
So late-sleeping, but that dove’s crying
Woke me and made me cry. Praise
To all early-waking grievers!
-Adi al-Riga quoted by Rumi in The Essential Rumi
Dearest Readers,
Yesterday I rescued a beloved collection of Rumi poetry from
a dusty corner of my bookcase. On the blank page before the introduction to The
Essential Rumi, translations by Coleman Barks with John Moyne,
I found a list of seventeen words and phrases in my handwriting that I had isolated from the intro to describe the generous form of the mind of the
mystical poet–not monuments, but fluid explorations of the individual longing
for union with the divine. Each is a textual jewel to contemplate. Waking Up is
where I find myself today.
Waking up
Imaginal
Sound of the mourning dove
A salt breeze
Mystery
Discourse
Resonance
Luminous
Within something
Wisdom
Movement
Poetry and Music
Palimpsest
Opening
Self-revealing
Faint and playful
Unfolding
In a month or so I will begin my northern sojourn in
Vermont, my heartland. Anticipation of my summer stay starts my creative juices
bubbling even now. The mountain air, the silence, childhood memories, the long
link to ancestors who emigrated in the mid-1800's to escape the starvation of the Irish potato
famine kindles a deep creative spirit.
My condo in Georgia is ready for my summer tenants, and my mind is
released.
I began a painting of wings a few weeks ago awash in the
under color of a golden dawn-a fitting base for waking up.
 | |
| Golden Wings-Phase 1 |
I drew two swirls of abstract wings that seemed to stare
back at me,
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| Golden Wings-Phase 2 |
Applied some preliminary color, and dragged fat black lines
of soot from the remnant of a burned log.
 |
| Golden Wings-Phase 3 |
Wings are my metaphor for human
transformation into the spiritual realm. The very act of painting is a process of metamorphosis. I may start with an idea, but if I remain open, the application of marks alters my conversation with the original intent. Friends see plant life and a pair of dancers...more to come on this one.
I’ll end with a Spring Ikebana arrangement that embodies
renewal, and after a long absence, another quilted portrait hankie, entitled Day 6-Itchy pulled from my box of feelings.
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| Azalea, Magnolia and a spiky succulent from the DeKalb Farmer's Market. |
 | |
| Day 6-Itchy-Photo print, quilting thread on vintage cotton handkerchief, and batting |
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| Little hatbox of feelings |
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