a little space for the rose breath to fill

' a little space for the rose breath to fill'


~ Yeats ~












It is inevitable that I will spill over from a lovely full life filled with the ongoing busy requests of daily living and it is at this moment the lone wolf in me emerges from within demanding that I give my soul a little shelter.  Or as the dear Irish poet William Butler Yeats said so darlingly  'a little space for the rose breath to fill.'

' come near, come near, come near—Ah, leave me still

A little space for the rose-breath to fill!

Lest I no more hear common things that crave;   

The weak worm hiding down in its small cave,   

The field-mouse running by me in the grass,   

And heavy mortal hopes that toil and pass;   

But seek alone to hear the strange things said

By God to the bright hearts of those long dead,   

And learn to chaunt a tongue men do not know.   

Come near; I would, before my time to go,   

Sing of old Eire and the ancient ways:   

Red Rose, proud Rose, sad Rose of all my days'

The strange thing is to this day I somehow continue to dismiss this eternal and ancient longing until I am at the point of exhaustion and tears, as it feels so in contradiction to my desire to be fully present in love for the beloveds in my life.  And yet. ~  (and we all know this) ~ you can only be fully generous to the world when you are fully generous to yourself first.

Spending time alone is a holy sacrament I need  to gift myself in my vulnerabilities to be wholesome, to feel grace, to fall into the truest rhythm with myself.  It allows the invisible into the light, it coaxes all my imaginings into possibility and most of all, it reminds me that love is the only language of the soul and encourages profound reflection and presence to bring depth and heart to my very being.

Yesterday I took a whole day for myself to cross the threshold into the peace of my inner world.  

I read a gorgeous book! 

I begged a photo of a stranger's hand in Zulu records! 

I watched a simply glorious film!

aaaand made several pots of tea throughout  the day and stared dreamily off into the sky while  walking by the sea.  I swear the residents of Crescent beach think I am a sea drenched version of Catherine in Wuthering heights, wild and untamed in my own element.  


But it was clear to me that this was what I was meant to do.  The silence was a dearly missed companion and presence and I felt such lightness of being on  how to be, rather than what to do.  

Things were left undone, dinner was not made,(I guess I should specify that there was dinner but it was not made)  children had to take the bus home and  the day began full and then vanished while I graced solitude to illuminate the contours of my spirit, coaxing light out of my dark weariness.  


And then.  Rebirth!  Just like the waves crashing on the shore I felt refreshed and alive and so in love with everyone and everything once again.  Later I celebrated with a chilled Guinness and yam fries.


All my soul needed was a little space to roam...to seek alone 'a little rose breath to fill.'

happy Sunday to all of you  roses of my days

xo

~ Maddie ~ 

pst!

eliza and madelyn = spectacular
the four ~ my mantra for 2012

persisting soul April registration is now open
i am guest writing at ivy and plum today

aaaaand I am making this  (due to the abundance of apples in my kitchen from juicing happily, madly, passionately the past few months)