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Beannacht – A New Year Blessing by John O’Donohue

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Beannacht – A New Year Blessing
~ John O’Donohue ~

On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.

And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The grey window
And the ghost of loss
Gets into you,
May a flock of colours,
Indigo, red, green
And azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
In the currach of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.
____________________________

41 thoughts on “Beannacht – A New Year Blessing by John O’Donohue

  1. Thank you so much for this. I’ve got the dead weight, the stumble, the freeze, the grey, and the frays — loving the image of your last stanza — trying to feel the invisible cloak. Grace and Peace to you, Theresa.

  2. I love this verse and often use it on my blog as well as on my facebook pages….and yet each time I see it published again (like now) I read it and feel myself filling up with hope xx Thank you.

  3. Breathtakingly beautiful and comforting. Thank you for this lovely start to my day. I am following the lead of your other readers and copying this down so I may carry it in my bag. Sunshine and moonlight to you!

    • “Anam Cara” was my first introduction to him, and I’ve been a fan ever since. His written treasures are priceless, and you can also hear him read some poetry on YouTube. Some of his works are here on Soul Gatherings under the category “Blessings.” Welcome.

  4. Thank you for this. Profound words. John O’ Donohue’s books, among others, have been constant companions of mine. An absolute inspiration.

  5. Thanks for blogging this it is truly inspiring and very lovely. I am ashamed to admit that I had never heard this before but John O’Donohue’s work is something I will definitely be exploring.

  6. I have only just found this post, Theresa. Thank you so much for reminding me of this wonderful man and his writings.

  7. Thanks for stopping by Evolution Made Easier and liking my current post. I always appreciate when someone takes the time to do that, plus it helps lead me to what they are up to, like this great post blog of yours. Especially love the author’s words in the last 2 paragraphs.Wonderful! Will have to remember this and use a link to this page as a tip in my New Year’s post for 2015.

    Best wishes!

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