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Day: August 20, 2023

Small in Your Presence

August 20, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 4 Comments

Recently, I've been reading Rilke, specifically Books of Hours: Love Poems to God, and as I was reading, this poem came into my mind. The small things, the things that sometimes seem inconsequential, often turn out to be essential to lifelong contentment.

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  1. Trish's avatar
    Trish on One Little Word, 2026January 7, 2026

    I can't add anything but, "Brava" to the comments here! The stanzas that begin, "Remember me as..." speak so clearly…

  2. Lainie Levin's avatar
    Lainie Levin on One Little Word, 2026January 7, 2026

    Well, first of all, the older I get, the older "old" is =)And I love the mindset you are bringing…

  3. Jessica Carey's avatar
    Jessica Carey on One Little Word, 2026January 7, 2026

    Remarkable. Flashy and spunky. I love your attitude approaching this year and your upcoming birthday. So inspiring.

  4. Leigh Anne Eck's avatar
    Leigh Anne Eck on One Little Word, 2026January 6, 2026

    I love all of this! The word, the thinking behind it, the poem, and the picture! I just reacently purchased…

  5. Fran McCrackin's avatar
    Fran McCrackin on One Little Word, 2026January 6, 2026

    I like the way you build up to your word reveal. And with the perfect photo!

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4 responses to “Small in Your Presence”

  1. majfoil Avatar
    majfoil
    August 21, 2023

    Thanks, Jojo.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Terje Avatar
    Terje
    August 22, 2023

    Staying in the now provides time no matte what age we are. Thank you for your thoughts and poetry today.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. kimhaynesjohnson Avatar
    kimhaynesjohnson
    August 23, 2023

    I love this metaphor for aging gracefully and embracing it as the natural order of things! The shell is a perfect symbol. I love Rilke, too. What a fascinating connection!

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Denise Krebs Avatar
    Denise Krebs
    August 23, 2023

    Joanne, thank you for this. It was good to contemplate this kind of deep appreciation for the days we have been given. I love the repetition of “in your presence” and this lovely section:

    Fragile fragment
    of something
    that once lived

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
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