Sandra Heska King

daring to open doors

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still saturday: every morning

February 21, 2014 By Sandra Heska King

crow

Every morning I walk like this around
the pond, thinking: if the doors of my heart
ever close, I am as good as dead.

Every morning, so far, I’m alive. And now
the crows break off from the rest of the darkness
and burst up into the sky–as though

all night they had thought of what they would like
their lives to be, and imagined
their strong, thick wings.

~Mary Oliver, in “Landscape,” New and Selected Poems, Volume One

crow2

In the stillness,

Sandy

Sandra Heska King - Still Saturday

Welcome to the Still Saturday Community where we pause after a busy week, move in quiet pilgrimage, maybe linger a while in some still place, and soak in the beauty of images and words. We’d love for you to join us. Get the details on the left, grab your favorite button, and link up below. We all love to hear if something especially speaks to your heart, but please don’t feel pressured to comment. Simply take some time to gaze long and drink deep.

NOTE 2/24/14: As you may have noticed, Linky Tools had a major hard drive and backup failure over the weekend. Everything is fixed and running now, but images posted prior (from December 2013) have so far not been recovered–and doing so may be impossible. The links, however, still work. The service owner has set new safeguards in place and begs prayers and forgiveness. So sorry for the inconvenience.



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Filed Under: Blog, Still Saturday, stillness

Comments

  1. Sharon @ Faith Hope Cherrytea says

    February 21, 2014 at 8:27 pm

    all night they had thought of what they would like
    their lives to be …

    Lovely! that beautiful gift of God ~ imagining…

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 12:05 pm

      And too often we’re afraid to let the wings of our imagination fly…

  2. bluecottonmemory says

    February 21, 2014 at 8:58 pm

    Life gets hard and hurts – and it makes me sometimes just want to stop – but this poem nails it – if I stop loving I am not living!

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 12:07 pm

      “If the doors of my heart ever close…” Yeah, that really jumped out at me.

  3. Mascha says

    February 22, 2014 at 1:40 am

    Wonderful poem and pictures!

    The Linkup will for me not working, it seems to be a global problem: three memes that I tried today, was not working…
    My post:
    http://maschas-buch.blogspot.de/2014/02/invitation.html

    Have a quiet weekend

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 12:08 pm

      So sorry, my friend. Yes, the Linky Tools hard drive died this weekend. Hopefully things are all better for next week.

  4. S. Etole says

    February 22, 2014 at 5:38 am

    That first image is especially striking. Both are beautiful accompaniments to the poem.

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 12:22 pm

      Thanks, Susan. I love how they turned out. 🙂

  5. Patricia @ Pollywog Creek says

    February 22, 2014 at 6:10 am

    “Every morning, so far, I’m alive.” Love that! Know that feeling. =) Cool photos, Sandy. xox

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 12:23 pm

      Ha! Let’s keep hoping there are many every mornings for us. 🙂

  6. Sylvia R says

    February 22, 2014 at 6:15 am

    What excellent pictures to illustrate this poem. (Which makes me want to go walk around the pond today in the stillness (except for the crows).

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 1:17 pm

      🙂

  7. Dea says

    February 22, 2014 at 8:11 am

    Just really cool… but crows sometime I wonder what has gotten into them. It’s probably from staying up all night.

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 1:33 pm

      That could definitely be their probably, Dea. And maybe they have guilty consciences from their escapades. You know a group is called a “murder,” right? 😉

  8. Michelle DeRusha says

    February 22, 2014 at 8:38 am

    Love the poem, and those photos? Very cool!

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 1:37 pm

      Love Mary Oliver! And thanks on the photos.

  9. Michele-Lyn Ault says

    February 22, 2014 at 9:10 am

    Oh, this is simply beautiful, Sandra. You are beautiful. 🙂 And this site? I know it’s been a long while since I’ve hopped over here, or much anywhere. Time…Sigh.

    I’m not sure how long you’ve had your new site, but it’s absolutely gorgeous!

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 1:39 pm

      Thanks so much, sweet friend. The redecorating unveiled on Valentine’s Day with love from Lyla Lindquist. 🙂

  10. Sharon says

    February 22, 2014 at 12:41 pm

    What a beautiful post! And I loved the photos. Your simple post today is speaking stillness to my heart…

    GOD BLESS!

    (I couldn’t get the thumbnail to work yesterday or today, so I linked up using the generic Linky Tool icon. Not so pretty, but wanted to still join the party. Hopefully, whatever’s going on will be fixed shortly…)

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 1:43 pm

      I didn’t even know you could use a generic Linky Tool. Linky Tool’s hard drive disintegrated/blew up/burned up/died or something. It’s fixed now, so should be back in order next week. So far, they’re still trying to reclaim a couple months’ worth of images…but the links all work. So sorry for the inconvenience, Sharon. 🙁

  11. Barbie says

    February 22, 2014 at 12:49 pm

    Thank you for sharing this beautiful poem. Have a lovely weekend!

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 1:44 pm

      Thanks, Barbie!

  12. Jason Stasyszen says

    February 22, 2014 at 1:14 pm

    Really like this. Thank you, Sandra. 🙂

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 1:46 pm

      Thanks so much, Jason.

  13. Sheila Seiler Lagrand says

    February 22, 2014 at 2:18 pm

    I need to imagine my strong, thick wings.

    Thank you, dear sister-friend, for this.

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 1:46 pm

      Thank you, dear sister-friend, for helping keep my wings strong.

  14. Sandra @ Sandra's Ark says

    February 22, 2014 at 4:06 pm

    Hi Sandra, couldn’t find the link up today. Anyway always enjoy popping over and the stillness.

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 1:47 pm

      The linkup was broken for awhile. Sorry for the inconvenience, but so glad you popped over.

  15. Laurie Collett says

    February 22, 2014 at 10:48 pm

    Beautiful poem! Thanks for hosting & God bless.

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 1:48 pm

      Thanks for being so faithful, Laurie.

  16. Joanne Viola says

    February 23, 2014 at 7:04 am

    What a beautiful poem! How very true … if the doors of our hearts ever close, we are as good as dead. So grateful that this morning I am alive. May He keep my heart open & ever feeling. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this poem!
    Blessings,
    Joanne

    • Sandra Heska King says

      February 24, 2014 at 1:49 pm

      Praying our heart doors stay wide open. Love to you, Joanne.

Trackbacks

  1. Weekend Reflection: Delighted! says:
    February 23, 2014 at 10:53 am

    […] Around here we remove our shoes and tour the stillness.  Start with Sandra Heska King’s Still Saturday. While you’re there, take a look around at Sandy’s gorgeous new digs, by the way.  Then visit […]

  2. Weekend Reflection: Present says:
    March 2, 2014 at 11:24 am

    […] Around here we remove our shoes and tour the stillness.  Start with Sandra Heska King’s Still Saturday. While you’re there, take a look around at Sandy’s gorgeous new digs, by the way. Then head over […]

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