May Twenty-Second

“One regret dear world, that I am determined not to have - when I am lying on my deathbed - is that I did not kiss you enough.”

- - Hafiz of Persia

May Twenty-First

A meditation on caring:
Picture yourself with someone about to die.
Hear yourself telling that someone a secret.
What would the secret be?
Picture yourself with someone about to die.
Whisper to them a message - one message - to take to someone in the hereafter.
What would the message be and to whom would you send it?
Picture yourself with someone about to die.
What would you tell them to make their journey easier?
Picture yourself with someone about to die.
Are you eager to leave the room or will you wait until the very end?
Picture yourself with someone about to die.
Do you envy them or fear them?
Now picture yourself saying goodbye. Picture yourself wiping their face with a clean, wet, white cloth - getting them ready for their journey. They will soon be free.
Go to the window. Picture yourself opening it. Imagine the dying person contains all your fears and worries. Imagine the person letting go of life and all of your troubles that were kept inside this shell fly out the window and as soon as they are gone you slam the window shut and never see them again.
You feel calm inside and your mind is quiet.
You are ready for anything now - work or sleep, it doesn't matter. Your mind is quiet.
Your mind is quiet.

May Twentieth

Mi Sheberakh: May the One Who Blessed
JEWISH PRAYER FOR HEALING

May the One who blessed our ancestors --
Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
Matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah --
bless and heal the one who is ill:

__________ son/daughter of __________ .

May the Holy Blessed One
overflow with compassion upon him/her,
to restore him/her,
to heal him/her,
to strengthen him/her,
to enliven him/her.
The One will send him/her, speedily,
a complete healing --
healing of the soul and healing of the body --
along with all the ill,
among the people of Israel and all humankind,
soon,
speedily,
without delay,
and let us all say: Amen!

May Nineteenth

ALMIGHTY God, Father of mercies, be pleased to work in me what Thou hast commanded should be in me. Give me, O Lord, the grace of an earnest sorrow, -- turn my sin into repentance, and let my repentance proceed to pardon; and teach me so diligently to watch over all my actions that I may never transgress Thy holy laws willingly, but that it may be the work of my life to obey Thee, the joy of my soul to please Thee, and the perfection of my desires to live with Thee in the kingdom of Thy grace and glory - Amen.

-- JEREMY TAYLOR (1613-1667)

May Eighteenth

PSALM 12

HOW long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

May Seventeenth

MAY I be a protector to those without protection,
A leader for those who journey,
And a bot, a bridge, a passage
For those desiring the further shore.

May the pain of every living creature
Be completely cleared away.
May I be the doctor and the medicine
And may I be the nurse
For all sick beings in the world
Until everyone is healed.

Just like space
And the great elements such as earth,
May I always support the life
Of all the countless creatures.

And until they pass away from pain
May I also be the source of life
For all the realms of varied beings
That reach unto the ends of space.

-- BUDDHIST POET SHANTIDEVA

May Sixteenth

We pray Thee to compassionate our weakness, O Lord, to guard us in peril, to direct us in doubt, and to save us from falling into sin. From the evil that is around and within us, graciously deliver us. Make the path of duty plain before us, and keep us in it even unto the end - Amen.

-- KING'S CHAPEL LITURGY (1831)

May Fifteenth

O GOD, who art Peace everlasting, whose chosen reward is the gift of peace, and who hast taught us that the peacemakers are Thy children, pour Thy peace into our souls, that everything discordant may utterly vanish, and all that makes for peace be sweet to us forever - Amen.

-- MOZARABIC, BEFORE A.D. 700

May Fourteenth

PSALM 1
BLESSED is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinner, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
but his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so; but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

May Thirteenth

O FATHER, light up the small duties of this day's life: may they shine with the beauty of Thy countenance. May we believe that glory may dwell in the commonest task. For the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord we ask it - Amen.

May Twelfth

THEN the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?"

-- Job. 38 - The Old Testament

May Eleventh

WE ask not, O Father, for health or life. We make an offering to Thee of all our days. Thou hast counted them. We would know nothing more. All we ask is to die rather than live unfaithful to Thee; and, if it be Thy will that we depart, let us die in patience and love. Almighty God, who holdest in Thy hand the keys of the grave to open and close it at Thy will, give us not life, if we shall love it too well. Living or dying we would be Thine - Amen.

-- FRANCOIS DE LA MOTHE PENELON (1651-1715)

May Tenth

SET a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

-- PSALM 141:3
Lips by Man Ray

May Ninth

I OFFER up unto Thee my prayers and intercessions, for those especially who have in any matter hurt, grieved, or found fault with me, or who have done me any damage or displeasure.
For all those also whom, at any time, I may have vexed, troubled, burdened, and scandalized, by words or deeds, knowingly or in ignorance; that Thou wouldst grant us all equally pardon for our sins, and for our offences against each other.
Take away from our hearts, O Lord, all suspiciousness, indignation, wrath, and contention, and whatsoever may hurt charity, and lessen brotherly love.
Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy on those that crave Thy mercy, give grace unto them that stand in need thereof, and make us such as that we may be worthy to enjoy Thy grace, and go forward to life eternal - Amen.

-- THOMAS A KEMPIS

May Eighth

PROVIDENCE grant you the peace you deserve, the luck you make and the friends you've earned.

-- by the blog author

May Seventh

HYMN TO NIGHT

SO VAST, our Goddess Night, she rises,
star-eyes gazing everywhere;
all her finery of dress displayed.
Space high and low she fills, Eternal Night,
her beauty driving out the dark.
Close on the heels of sister Day
she treads. Let darkness run . . .
As you draw near, we turn for home
like birds that wing to nest.
Life everywhere retreats: man, beast
and bird. Even the soaring hawk
returns to seek out rest.
Night, shield us from the wolf and thief.
Throughout your hours let there be calm.
Pitch dark has brought a shroud for me.
Dawn, drive it, like my debts, away.
Child of Day, to you, as to a calf,
my hymn is offered. Receive it now
as paean to a conqueror.

-- from The Big Veda

May Sixth

Song of Songs - Hebrew (c. 600 B.C.)

THE sound of my lover
coming from the hills
quickly like a deer
upon the mountains

Now at my windows,
walking by the walls,
here at the lattices
he calls --

come with me,
my love,
come away

For the long wet months are past,
the rains have fed the earth
and left it bright with blossoms

Birds wing in the low sky,
dove and songbird singing
in the open air above

Earth nourishing tree and vine,
green fig and tender trape,
green and tender fragrance

Come with me,
my love,
come away

May Fifth

GRANT us , O Lord, to pass this day in gladness and peace, without stumbling and without stain; that, reaching the eventide victorious over all temptation, we may praise Thee, the eternal God, who art blessed, and dost govern all things, world with end - Amen.

-- MOZARABIC, BEFORE A.D. 700

May Fourth

HEAR me, O Lord; for Thy loving-kindness is good: turn unto the according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies.

-- PSALM LXIX:16

May Third

MY WOMAN says that she would rather wear the wedding veil for me
than anyone: even if Jupiter himself came storming after her;
that's what she says, but when a woman talks to a hungry,
ravenous lover, her words should be written upon the wind
and engraved in rapid waters. -- Catullus, 84? - 54? B.C.

May Second

AND he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying:
Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one world of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:
That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:
That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.
Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day. -- Solomon's blessing and sacrifice from I. Kings. 9

May First

Bless what there is ... Forever and ever - Amen.

April Thirtieth

FATHER,
The path ahead is dark,
And we know not where Thou wouldst have us to go.
Give us, oh, give us, Thy gracious guidance
And a tranquil trust in Thy love,
That we may walk forward through the gloom,
Unfaltering, fearless, and confident,
Having within us that divine light
Which maketh clear as day the darkest midnight,
Guiding the traveller who shall trust in Thee
Safe through impenetrable forests and over trackless mountains -- Amen.

-- JOHN S. HOYLAND

April Twenty-Ninth

You ... I don't know you,
But I feel as if we could be friends
If you took that big chip
Off your shoulder.

And now you smile and I realize
That I've seen you before.
I've seen you ... glimpsed in the mirror
Or in a window reflecting back at me.
Has anyone ever told you you're handsome?
No?
I'm surprised.

-- by the blog author

April Twenty-Eighth

O LORD, who lovest the stranger, defend and nourish, we entreat Thee, all sojourners in strange lands and poor helpless persons, that they may glorify Thee out of grateful hearts; and to such men as are tyrannical and oppressive give searchings of spirit and amendment of ways, that Thou mayest show mercy on them also - amen.

-- CHRISTINA G. ROSSETTI

April Twenty-Seventh

TWICE TIMES THEN IS NOW
by Ibn Hazm Al-Andalusi (994-1064)

YOU ASK how old am I
bleached by the sun
my teeth all gone.
How old am I?

I have no guide
no calendar inside
except a smile
and little kiss
she gave me
by surprise
upon my brow.

And now,
that little while
is all my life
and all reality,
how long or brief
it seems to be.

-- translated by OMAR S. POUND
and happy birthday to me today - blog author

April Twenty-Sixth

IN SPRING THE QUINCE

IN THE Spring the quince and the
Pomegranate bloom in the
Sacred Park of the Maidens,
And the vine tendril curls in
The shade of the downy vine leaf.
But for me Love never sleeps.
He scorches me like a blaze
Of lightning and he shakes me
To the roots like a storm out of
Thrace, and he overwhelms my heart
With black frenzy and seasickness.

-- BY IBYCUS (c. 560 B.C.), translated by KENNETH REXROTH

April Twenty-Fifth

SONNET

WHEN I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high-piled books, in charact'ry,
Hold like rich garners the full-ripen'd grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour!
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love! - then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.

-- JOHN KEATS (1795-1821) 25 or 26 years of age at death

April Twenty-Fourth

IN PRAISE OF KRISHNA

Beautiful his peacock crown,
so stunningly his turban tied;
his forehead graced by dust
raised by herds of cows;
Upon his breast
a forest garland undulates.
The maiden gazed
upon that fount of nectar,
and became dumb.
Closing her eyes,
mirthfully she called out
(while her fellow maiden said:)
"Open your eyes."
"Why open my eyes
when Krishna's form
dwells within?"

-- RUSKHAN (C. 1505) - Translated by Allen Shapiro and Stephen Schaffer

April Twenty-Third

Bless what there is
Give us this day
Make us good
Help us appreciate
Let us be thankful
Let us be wise.

-- by the blog author