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Poetry Gathering Reflection - June 2022

Kindness - Naomi Shihab Nye - 1952

At the inaugural Focusing with Poetry session of June 23rd. Mary Jennings and I worked with the poem Kindness, an inspired choice on Marie’s part.

We each engaged with the poem in different ways. For Mary the text reflected a specific personal experience. She identified the difference between trite everyday expressions of sympathy and the “ tender gravity” of kindness. For me, the loss of “what you counted and carefully saved” encapsulates the desolation from which I can only be rescued by kindness, which reflects mercy.

I was puzzled by the use of the verb “gaze” in the line …sends you out into the day to gaze at bread…. “ Mary suggested that this reflects the atmosphere of an environment of street food and market stalls. This would be in line with the backdrop of an indigenous society suggested elsewhere in the poem.

These observations only touch on the rich trove of meaning to be explored in Kindness, an inspired choice by Marie for our first focusing with Poetry session.

Thank you for the sharing.
Carmel Heaney

Poetry Corner

This is a great opportunity to share our favourite poets and poems using Focusing to gently evoke felt senses, felt meanings, symbols, and memories.

In the following poetry offerings, you are invited to click on the image of your poetry choice, and allow yourself to rest into the guidance, the silences, the resonances with the words, or lines from the poem. To further explore the focusing way with poetry click here to access our main poetry page.
Deeply, Deeply, Deeply
by Marie Mc Guigan
Recited by Marie Mc Guigan It has been a pure gift to join the Irish Focusing Network on zoom weekly in giving and receiving, helping me to connect deeply with how I am carrying it all at this time..

Click here to go to the poem
Breath
by Rainer Maria Rilke
Recited by Marie Mc Guigan For our third offering of the Irish Focusing Network's Poetry Corner I have choosen a poem called Breath by Rainer Maria Rilke.

Click here to go to the poem
Ask Me
by William Stafford
Recited by Tom Larkin This poem was chosen by Tom Larkin. Watch the video below to hear Tom recite the poem and offer some guidance along with it. You are in for a treat with Tom's offering.

Click here to go to the poem
For Beauty
by John O'Donohue
Recited by Marie McGuigan This poem was chosen by Marie McGuigan. I hope you enjoy this offering and your own focusing time with the poem/blessing.


Click here to go to the poem
 

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