Lao Tzu, Rumi, David, Emerson, Wordsworth, Gibran, and Mary Oliver have taught me, over the years, that I never finish reading a book of wisdom poetry. When I read the last psalm, song, or poem, I simply put the book down for a while--sometimes for a few years--until one day whim, genius, or spiritual thirst … Continue reading Mary Oliver: American Primitive
As this challenging school year comes to a close, I keep reading my philosophical and poetical friends for their wisdom, both phronesis and sophia. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes, Lao Tzu, Plato, Aristotle, Saint John, Rumi, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Emerson, Thoreau, Tagore, and Henry Bugbee have been sources of insight and exemplary guides … Continue reading Old Poets’ Wisdom
It is a cold, gray afternoon. Worries weigh on my mind like the nimbostratus, filled with rain, that hover over the land. In search of a wise, earthy voice, I seek Mary Oliver's poetry in my library. I come upon the poem "Just Lying on the Grass at Blackwater." These verses strike me as the … Continue reading Floral Simplicity
July has come. We still have half a year to make 2020 a time of growth, even in the face of struggle, grief, and profound loss. In January I shared Rabindranath Tagore's "Song 36" from Gitanjali as a prayer for the new year: This is my prayer to you, my [loving God] -- strike, strike … Continue reading To leap in the froth of waves
I wake up every morning at dawn and look out my garden window to the soft pink clouds that beckon me eastward. Sometimes I go on my walk immediately, taking blue and blackberries with me. Sometimes I have a silent, joyful breakfast at my small table and then I venture out into the blue, green, … Continue reading Autumn Musings
Daniel G. Campos 