Sunday, September 6, 2009

A Quotation and a Poem

Most recent read: Little Men, by Louisa May Alcott 

Today I was flipping through a new book I recently purchased by Sarah Ban Breathnach called Moving On.  She is the author of Simple Abundance, which I thoroughly enjoyed and still refer to often.  I haven't really begun to read this other book, but at the very beginning a lovely quotation and poem caught my eye and I was moved to share them with you all.  

"If a reader cannot create a book along with the writer, the book will never come to life."
-Madeline L'Engle

Isn't that so true?  Sometimes when they are collecting dust on a shelf or in a box, books began to seem like such static things, which really, I believe they were meant to be dynamic and full of life.  The best books are ever-changing conversations between the author, the reader, and sometimes all the readers that have come before or will come after.  These are usually the books that we revisit and find in them new meaning and delight.

And now the poem by David Whyte:

This the bright home
in which I live,
this is where
I ask
my friends
to come,
This is where I want
to love all the things
it has taken me so long
to learn to love...

There is no house
like the house of belonging.

Where is your "house of belonging"?

Image from Amazon.com

1 comment:

Art Wall Katie said...

I agree, I think that's why so many people have a hard time liking "the movie" after they've read "the book" everyone has their own interpretation of how things should look/feel/be and if it's not the same, it loses something.