Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Sobriety: 28 years



photo credit: MarkGuitarPhoto via photopin cc


Ich komme aus meinen Schwingen heim -by Rainier Maria Rilke

I come home from the soaring in which I lost myself.
I was song, and the refrain which is God
is still roaring in my ears.

Now I am still
and plain:
no more words.

To the others I was like a wind:
I made them shake.
I’d gone very far, as far as the angels,
and high, where light thins into nothing.

But deep in the darkness is God.


                                            -from Rilke's Book of Hours – Love Poems to God



As I have since this blog's inception, on the day of my sobriety anniversary I publish this treasured Rilke poem, but with a new image each year.

.

11 comments:

Di said...

Congratulations :-)
I still read you via my blog reader but I fail to comment and I am sorry about that. Maybe I need to slow down a little.

Fireblossom said...

Congratulations, girl. It's huge, what you've accomplished. I hope you'll do something special for yourself today.

Rob-bear said...

Well done, Lydia, on 28 years of sobriety.

The poem is very powerful! Thanks for sharing it.

Blessings and Bear hugs!

Rosaria Williams said...

Controlling anything our bodies are want to do is a discipline we all admire.
Congratulations.

Elliot MacLeod-Michael said...

Congrats, I'm coming up on 5 years in a few days. I need to get more into Rilke. I haven't read much of his stuff but love the song Rilkean Heart by Cocteau Twins (a song about the singer Jeff Buckley, who was a fan of Rilke).

kj said...

I should know but I don't, but I think it might be 28 years for me too. 25 anyway.

Congratulations my friend. A very proud very wise achievement

Love
kj

English Rider said...

:)

ds said...

Congratulations, Lydia. That is an impressive, continuous feat. I love Rilke. Thanks so much for sharing his beautiful words.

Lydia said...

Di~ Thanks so much. I totally understand about not commenting, and think most of us are overwhelmed with the busyness of our lives. No need to apologize, Di, as I am just the same.

Fireblossom~ Thanks for your sweet comment. Today I just enjoyed the sunshine and being alive, and all is well.

Rob-bear~ So good to hear from you and happy you like the poem as I do. Thanks for your good wishes.

rosaria~ Thank you. A huge part of controlling is letting go!

Elliot~ Congratulatory wishes to you on your upcoming 5th. That is wonderful! Thank you for your thoughtful comment and the lead on the song Rilkean Heart by Cocteau Twins. I know of Jeff Buckley but had never heard of these singers nor the song, and found a video at youtube that included the lyrics which was a great help because their sound is so ethereal. It's beautiful, and such a fine tribute to Buckley, who means all the more to me now knowing he loved Rilke.

kj~ Congrats to you too and I wish you would figure out how many years for you!

English Rider~ So good to have a smile from you today. :)

ds~ Thanks so much. I am not at all surprised to learn that you are a fellow fan of Rilke. Can't imagine my life never having known his poetry and I you no doubt feel the same.

Don't Feed The Pixies said...

slightly late thanks to endless delays on trains meaning i can't catch up much on blogs at the moment - but i am so proud of your achievements - it takes a great deal of courage to turn away from the demons and be free

Lydia said...

Pixies~ I am grateful to be free. Thanks much for your comment. I wish (I could ease your commute problems, but I have no sway with the heads of your train system. :(

ShareThis

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails