Jan 05 2018
Pat Schneider – The Patience of Ordinary Things
The Patience of Ordinary Things
by Pat Schneider
It is a kind of love, is it not?
How the cup holds the tea,
How the chair stands sturdy and foursquare,
How the floor receives the bottoms of shoes
Or toes. How soles of feet know
Where they’re supposed to be.
I’ve been thinking about the patience
Of ordinary things, how clothes
Wait respectfully in closets
And soap dries quietly in the dish,
And towels drink the wet
From the skin of the back.
And the lovely repetition of stairs.
And what is more generous than a window?
— from Another River: New and Selected Poems, by Pat Schneider
/ Image by snap713 /
I’m back. We’re back. The Poetry Chaikhana is back.
Sorry about the unannounced hiatus, but I decided I should take some time to recharge my batteries.
I hope it was a special Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, New Year (pick any or all of the above) for you and your families.
=
I want to say, Thank you, Lalita, for introducing me to this poem. Since I am new to Pat Schneider’s writing, I don’t know much about her. I look forward to learning more.
It is a kind of love, is it not?
How the cup holds the tea…
There is something supremely settling about this poem. The poet reminds us to see how each object, simply by acting according to their nature is actually an embodiment of a sort of universal love.
How the chair stands sturdy and foursquare,
How the floor receives the bottoms of shoes
Or toes. How soles of feet know
Where they’re supposed to be.
Objects simply are as they are, and their “actions” naturally flow from their form. Through being, self-acceptance, and natural self-expression, these objects express a humble enlightenment and service in the world.
We just need to see it. And learn from these quiet teachers.
And what is more generous than a window?
Recommended Books: Pat Schneider
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Pat Schneider |
Great poem, Ivan. Thank you.
And what is more generous than a window?
Wow!
Thank you for the poem and wishes, Ivan. I in turn want to wish you a happy New Year. And yes, I echo the thought of the previous comment: the closing line of Schneider’s poem is just breathtakingly beautiful.
A truly wonderful poem for beginning the New Year. I am more and more convinced that the ability to see – and to see in the here and now – is the first step on the path of reverence. To see both with the eyes and the soul is the prerequisite of love.
Welcome back, Ivan.
Great poem for the new year..
and yes the world (starting at home!)
can use more patience.
Blessings in 2018.
Thank you for the poem and wishes. I just realized that Poetry Chaikhana has become an integral part of my routine, I was actually waiting on you.
Happy New Year:)
I had better get back into the rhythm of things then. Happy New Year to you too!
Dear Ivan,
This gentle poem reminded me of two others–“Otherwise” by Pat Kenyon and “Still” by A. R. AAmons. Here are links to them:
https://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/050.html
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/still
Thanks so much for sharing so much.
JR
Thanks for the links, James. I agree, wonderful stuff. I especially liked Amons’s poem.