Friday, June 13, 2008

Take a Breath


Sometimes love is as easy as life's breath.
         ~Sunlight waving in the fields.
Sometimes love grinds like a thirsty walk
         ~Wilting under a high, hazy sun.
A larger world is measured by hoof-falls.
Not much matters more than now.


(Picture: A courting carriage passing the back roads of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.)

18 comments:

Frank Baron said...

"Not much matters more than now."

I'll be darned. I don't think truer words were ever spoken.

Okay. Typed.

Whatever.

Very nice. :)

Anonymous said...

A Sort of "I've looked at love from both sides now" poem.
You go from one to the other in due course ... so the here and now is the best place to be.

rel said...

Jason,
It's good to remember: now is all there is.
rel

JaneyV said...

Not much matters more than now
So true - so true! But I don;t think this translates to "now is all there is." There are memories and hopes - but certainly now is all that matters.

Aine said...

May our "nows" always make it worthwhile...

I think this photo will always hold special meaning for us. It represents so much.
;)

Sarah Hina said...

A good reminder, Jason, even as they look into the horizon.

The photo is great. A stolen glimpse into a new beginning.

Anonymous said...

Hi Jason,
A work in progress ages like a fine wine, but the now is never ending. Nice work, enjoyed your site. will definitely come back.
I like the setup of your blog.

Miladysa said...

How quickly 'now' passes when you are in love :-D

Lovely sentiments Jason!

SzélsőFa said...

I like how the two opposites are displayed as counterparts - none of them is avoidable, both of them are there, perhaps in one single moment, in the 'now'.

apprentice said...

A great summer piece. When your young now is all you need. Beautiful photograph too.

Anonymous said...

Frank, thanks! I think it's a mistake to let the present slip away in favor of any other time.

Aggie, I suppose I'm saying to let go of both the good and bad. Only then are we best prepared for the moment.

Remiman, in a very real sense, that's true.

Janey, the past is important. So is the course set by our vision of the future. But really, neither exerts any true control over us. I was a lawyer today, and every day for the previous 12 years. However, none of that means I have to be a lawyer tomorrow. That's a choice.

Aine, I think so too. Very much is wrapped up in that little of the camera as we drove.

Sarah, there's something very potent in that photo. One of those mysterious accidents. Of course, my feelings may have something to do with our long ties to Lancaster County.

Bessye, thanks for the visit! I'll be sure to stop by your place. You're words are very true. Perhaps the now can be exhausting in its constant force. People can choose to rest on the past or place all their hopes on the future.

Miladysa, maybe too fast. And it's dangerous to look too wistfully backwards.

Szelsofa, they are forces of inertia--the highs and lows. But that's the illusion. The day after a string of lows does not have to be low. Also, we can't drift on a string of highs expecting more. The attention and work must be directed toward now if we truly want any control.

Apprentice, I'm hopeful that the now will be vibrant in the later years also.

Unknown said...

Sweet. Love the photograph. What is it about the Amish that just seems so... sincere?

iamnasra said...

Its so touching ..Im so inspired

FANCY said...

Your post hit me,...I feel so touched and it was the words I need...thank you.

Geraldine said...

What an interesting choice of photos to go with your beautiful words Jason.

I have pondered what kind of life the Amish and Hutterites strive for and believe in. Are they allowed the fullness of emotions, including romantic love as most of us perceive it to be?

www.mypoeticpath.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

EOH, a purity too. Or maybe a directness.

Nasra, thank you for saying so, my friend.

Fancy, take them and use them. I hope you are reaffirmed.

Geraldine, that's a great question. I wonder how deeply their religion overshadows the other aspects of their life.

Anonymous said...

The last line reeled me in too. I will admit to also being fascinated with the Amish. Their resolve to distance themselves from the 'real' world intrigues me. When my Grandmother was growing up in Ireland in the 1920s they still used 'courting carriages.' A tradition long gone, I'm afraid.

Vesper said...

Beautifully true... Thank you, Jason!