Abundance

I drew this last night and played around colouring it today on the computer, no real wet paint ... just virtual...as i drew her, trees and rainbows, clouds and rain, the moon, butterflies, oceans, rivers, fresh shoots, fish and dragonflies, ships, stars and flowers appeared on her face and living things emerged from her... i was thinking about life and what it means. Pondering the big questions. I thought of the "Desiderata"

-- written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --
Not "Found in Old St. Paul's Church"! -- see below

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

I thought about how all the functions of the earth and sky and sea continue with or without me and I felt less frustrated with the world... for really, I am just a visitor to this amazing planet and I am the journeyer, the traveller... with or without me the sun shines, rises and sets... and it's kind of a comforting thought.

The words of my poem are pretty simplistic and childlike, almost embarrassingly so, but they run around the outside of her face...in the drawing above, so i'll write them her so you can read them properly, plus i added a few extra words below that don't fit on the actual drawing but make the poem sound more rounded and flowing.....when I'd done the drawing I thought I'd call it abundance, for abundance to me is when everything is flowing and functioning well and there is plenty of food and shelter and love to go 'round:

Abundance

The moon rose up
The rainbow sang
the trees grew strong
the fish hummed tales
the boats sailed on
the flowers grew wild

The rains fell down
the stars shone bright
the music played all
through the night
the tide rose high
the sun sank low
the winds blew strong
the seasons changed

The birds sang out
the grass grew green
the earth spun round
the rivers ran free

....abundance






here's the original drawing before I got all fancy and added colour