Today, a special treat - a poem from Ed Pacht, Rochester, N.H. poet laureate and a good friend of Day by Day and of myself and Little Bean. Ed recited his poetry at the book launch of our NH Rocks That Rock field guide and is a personal inspiration in that - like we attempt to do here - Ed has written a poem every day for years. Maybe decades. Maybe more than decades.
Yesterday, he composed a poem based on yesterday’s post, And There We Sit. With his permission, we’re publishing it here today for you.
Please do continue down to the edit note after the poem for a special announcement about an upcoming series, starting tomorrow.
For now, thank you Ed for doing us this honor with your lovely words.
I am the Whirlwind
I am the whirlwind,
always moving,
always spinning,
always having things to do,
ever moving here to there,
but always needing quiet,
needing rest.
We are the chaos,
doing different things,
moving different ways,
sometimes together but often not,
often crashing and conflicting,
always moving,
always needing quiet,
needing rest.
That’s us,
that’s our life,
that’s the way it always is,
and though we always seek for rest,
and think we have not found it,
that’s okay.
In the whirlwind,
in the raging of a storm,
in its very heart,
there is peace.
In the chaos,
in the contradictions of life,
there can be peace,
quiet,
rest,
if we look within,
and find the silence in our soul,
the higher realm of peace
to which we have been called.
~ Ed Pacht
Edit Note: Starting tomorrow, for five days, I’m going to be running a special series on Memorial Day. For the past several years, I’ve made a point of adding or updating an essay about my father’s military service and posting it around Memorial Day. What began as a short remembrance of my dad, who was a reluctant soldier, has grown substantially. I add to it each year, including this year. Some of you may have already read bits and pieces or snippets here or there. To some, in particular our new subscribers, this may all be new to you. Either way, I hope it makes you think, gives you a chance to reflect on your own feelings about the meaning of the holiday, and allows some perspective in a world that rarely provides meaningful introspection when it comes to what, exactly, it means to be a patriot. See you tomorrow, and as always, thank you for being here!