WORDS

My weekly posting of a quote, a poem  and a passage from literature. Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in,  therein to be content.    ~Helen Keller  The Gladness of Nature Is this a time to be cloudy and sad, When our Mother Nature laughs around, When even the deep blue heavens look glad, And gladness breathes from the blossoming ground? There are notes of joy from the hangbird and wren, And the gossip of swallows through all the sky; The ground squirrel gayly chirps by his den, And the wilding bee hums merrily by. The clouds are at play in the azure space, And their shadows at play on the bright green vale, And here they stretch to the frolic chase, And there they roll on the easy gale. There's a dance of leaves in that aspen bower; There's a titter of winds in that beechen tree; There's a smile on the fruit, and a smile on the flower, And a laugh from the brook that runs to the sea. And look at the broad-faced sun, how he smiles On the dewy earth that smiles in his ray, On the leaping waters and gay young isles, Ay, look, and he'll smile thy gloom away. ~by John Greenleaf Whittier

"When Joy finally did muster up the needed will and timing, she did it so strongly she compelled the mare to tear around the arena at a furious gallop. Joy tried numerous words and signals to get the mare to slow down to a medium trot, but Rasa would only speed up. As the woman's frustration grew , she began to shout in a louder, more commanding way, sometimes rushing towards the black horse and making larger, more animated gestures.. She tried this tactic for several minutes, completely unaware that her body language was unconsciously encouraging Rasa to speed up. Through a series of leading questions, I helped her to realize there was another option: to move away from the horse, slow her breathing down, take on a more relaxed body stance and visualize Rasa moving at the speed Joy wanted. Soon after, the mare was trotting the arena."
                ~ from The Tao of Equus