See our Privacy Policy
Gratefulness
The seventh of an eight-day practice celebrating National Poetry Month and inspired by Br. David's appreciation of and experience with haiku.
Haiku is essentially a recognition of the miracle of existence and our gift is to report in words anything that can help another person feel this too. ~ Tom Clausen
Welcome.
According to poet Tom Clausen: “Haiku contain as subjects nearly everything! Nothing is too big or small to be included.” The entirety of existence is available for our focused attention, our delight, and celebration.
In a lengthy list titled “Why Haiku?” Tom includes the following: “to show the ‘aha’ moment and suggest the wonder of existence; to exercise a spiritual communion with our place in this world; to have an epiphany; to give a voice to nature and discovery; to celebrate our connection to nature and all that is non-human; to praise the life in the inanimate…” and much, much more. We see that haiku can indeed be a grand celebration — a profound honoring of the great fullness of life and the gift of helping others to feel that too.
Haiku and calligraphy by Br. David Steindl-Rast
In a brief description of haiku, Br. David Steindl-Rast writes, “The best among them capture a moment of intense awareness; they awake your senses. No comment by the poet; simply one given moment which is fully – and thus gratefully – perceived.” And of peak experiences, out of which haiku are often born, Br. David says, “Not only is our intellect aroused by its truth, and our will by its goodness, but our emotions respond to its beauty. And what do the emotions say? ‘Let’s celebrate!’”
Today we invite you to welcome a celebratory spirit into your day and allow it to influence how you see the world and how you will craft your haiku. Remember, nothing is too big or too small to be included and fully — thus gratefully — perceived. Experiment with writing a haiku that expresses your experience of expansiveness, appreciation, and celebration. Feel free to share any reflections and/or your poem in the reflection area below.
Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment.
puddle jumping child full of joy and wonderment mud messages splashed
winter approaching beautiful bright moon above hands around hot tea
Wedding on the Cape Five Easter’s past, die was cast Rubied love shines on
Write an entry in your private gratefulness journal
Welcome to week four — the final week — of our practice. I’m excited to…
Welcome to week three of our practice. I’m excited to continue offering these excerpts from…
Welcome to week two of our practice. I’m excited to continue offering these excerpts from…
This site is brought to you by A Network for Grateful Living, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are fully tax deductible in the U.S.A.
© 2000 - 2021, A Network for Grateful Living
Website by Briteweb
We are delighted to announce the release of Kristi Nelson’s book Wake Up Grateful