This January First, invent the reality of your world

January 1, 2008 in Uncategorized

from “January First”

The year’s doors open
like those of language,
toward the unknown.
Last night you told me:
tomorrow
we shall have to think up signs,
sketch a landscape, fabricate a plan
on the double page
of day and paper.
Tomorrow, we shall have to invent,
once more,
the reality of this world.

—Elizabeth Bishop

[art from Rob Gonsalves as seen here]

About Patti Digh

Patti Digh is an author, speaker, and educator who builds learning communities and gets to the heart of difficult topics. Her work over the last three decades has focused on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and living and working mindfully. She has developed diversity strategies and educational programming for major nonprofit and corporate organizations and has been a featured speaker at many national and international conferences.

6 comments to " This January First, invent the reality of your world "


Mardahl.dk

January 1, 2008 AT 11:54AM

A muse for the new year

A new day. A new year. This is like receiving a new notebook or a new pad of paper! Joy! I know there is lots of work waiting for me when I get back to my job tomorrow. Over the coming days, the quantity of grey hairs may increase, and choice, blog-unf…

Jillian

January 1, 2008 AT 12:00PM

Happy New Year! New Year’s day, to me, would visually look the same as a blanket of freshly fallen snow without boot prints or paw prints…just virgin fallen snow.

Marilyn

January 1, 2008 AT 12:31PM

Love the poem…and really love the image! So powerful! Maybe it just resonates so deeply since I’ve just finished writing about my innate fear over letting my light shine. ;) Happy New Year to you and Mr. Brilliant and Emma and Tess and, yes, even Blue. xoxo

aurora fox

January 1, 2008 AT 3:42PM

I absolutely love the images in this painting—I have been a Luna worshiper since the early ’70’s. And when my girls were small I used to wake them up on clear full moon nights and take them out for “moon walks” to see nature in the moonlight….once you see an owl at night in the moonlight, you never forget that event…

Lisa Gates

January 1, 2008 AT 5:02PM

On Christmas Eve this year a full moon pushed up over the horizon and yawned like blue fire. We came back from Grandma’s and made hot chocolate and sat on the porch in the freezing cold just to be a part of that magic.

I’m wishing for a January moon just like that one. With wings.

Advance gratitude, Patti, for every word, every gesture you’ll give to this world in the coming year.

Frivolitea

January 2, 2008 AT 10:08AM

Wonderful writing and image. I look forward to reading your reflections in the new year. You have much to share.