Feb 19 2020
Anna Swir – Priceless Gifts
Priceless Gifts
by Anna Swir
English version by Czeslaw Milosz and Leonard Nathan
An empty day without events.
And that is why
it grew immense
as space. And suddenly
happiness of being
entered me.
I heard
in my heartbeat
the birth of time
and each instant of life
one after the other
came rushing in
like priceless gifts.
— from The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy, Edited by John Brehm
/ Image by Roman Iakoubtchik /
I think I’ll be quiet today and let this poem just hover there. Enjoy!
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| Talking to My Body | Dancing with Joy: 99 Poems | The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy | ||
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Anna Swir
Poland (1909 – 1984) Timeline |
I recently returned home from an eight day silent meditation retreat (centering prayer). This poem points to how my little self pushes to structure the day with activity and “need to do’s” and “should or must do’s” in order to stay in charge. The experience described by Anna Swir is what happens on retreat, when the day truly becomes like an immense revolving wheel distributing light and life, darkness and rest and waiting. Kathy
Thank You Ivan. This poem touched my heart After my daughter’s lengthy illness and my own more brief illness, this poem expresses both our feelings – ‘the birth of time and
each instant of life, one after the other, came rushing in like precious gifts.’
Indeed – and this poem expresses these thoughts so beautifully. Thank You.
Reading this fine poem, I find that ‘happiness of being’
just enters. Thanks Ivan, & you’re not remiss to let it hover,
to let it be, so the priceless gifts can find their own way.
Hi Ivan,
I think it is the first time that I leave a comment on your site that I eagrly follow for years. It has been an immense joy to discover many poets and poems I didn’t had a clue and benefit from your valuable explanations that are always so pertinent.
Let me tell you that upon reading this poem last night it didn”t pull any strings on me but re reading it today after a silent day of my loved one, it immediately made sense that when I receive a loving word from him, life starts to flow with all its force in me as if brought back to life, as it is so well expressed in the poem.
Of course, I rushed to read about your explanation and found your comment, You, as always in your writings have an extraordinary insight in our souls, I have already felt that reading you, I am so grateful to have such a guide in our lives as you and would like to thank you in the name of all of us in this group.
Stay in peace and love,
Jaklin