ORIGINAL BLESSING
I am dizzy with love,
Standing in the rain,
This cosmic blessing
Pouring on my head,
Mingling with tears of gratitude
Til one stream
can not be deciphered
From the other.
I am an Original Blessing,
As are you,
And we are not born in sin,
But brought into the light of life
In great joy and anticipation.
Our first bellows are not of pain
But surprise at the roominess of the Cosmos,
As we kick our feet, flail our arms
And finally open our eyes at the glorious colors
Of Nature.
Original sin would have us
Born rotten,
A theological monkey on our back–
But I know no God of the Cosmos
Who would scar these tiny blessings
With such a heavy burden.
Original Blessing is a deliverance,
A deliverance of hope, trust and pride
A heritage where we can discern and save
Ourselves,
Walk in harmony with the Earth,
Stride with love across the span of life–
For this Earth is our cradle,
And all in it our kin.
For a truly wise person
Kneels at the feet of all creatures
And is not afraid to endure
The mockery of others.
And when the day sidles up to night
I will settle into the nest of the Earth,
Draw the dark blanket of the Cosmos
Across me,
Pillow my head upon stars
And know that the blessings I have been
Graced with today and always
Have come from the womb of the Universe.
‘Original Blessing’ to be published soon in “Pitcher of Moon”,
Jane Kohut-Bartels
Copyrighted, 2013
Tags: "Pitcher of Moon", An article of faith, Gratitude, Jane Kohut-Bartels, Original Blessing, Original Sin, poetry, theological monkey on our back
Lady Nyo's Weblog 
June 9, 2013 at 1:53 pm
Dear Jane,
how utterly beautiful this poem is. “And when the day sidles up to night/I will settle into the nest of the Earth,/Draw the dark blacket of the Cosmos/Across me,/ Pillow my head upon stars.
This is the truth. We all come from the womb of the universe, which comes from a womb we know not of. I hope the “Pitcher of Moon” will be illustrated with your gorgeous watercolors.
When my beloved dog died, I buried her in my back yard. I nestled her into a bed of straw in a grave, and covered her with dirt. In the spring I planted things on the soil. Now in all that grows there, including the out of control exuberant weeds, I see her molecular portfolio, fully diversified across the roots under the ground and the greenery above it.
I’ve thought about having a green burial when it’s time for me to go. to be buried under a tree, in a biodegradable linen shroud, so my molecules can settle into the earth. love CS
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June 9, 2013 at 3:30 pm
I love this poem, Jane. Even got myself out of bed where I love to laze while reading blogs on my iPad—just so I could reply.
“Original Blessing” is a poem of the heart, especially when holding a new baby for the first time. You look in their little faces and question unquestioned beliefs about “human nature.” From this bonding moment onward, we question unquestioned beliefs about ourselves.
Another beautiful poem and painting freely given to others. Thank you!
Love,
CZ
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June 9, 2013 at 3:34 pm
Oh, CZ! What a beautiful message you write…far beyond a comment.
And you are so right! Looking into a baby’s eyes and seeing what innocence and freshness is quite the gift to us! Full of our expectations where perhaps they can get it right..were we didn’t. LOL!
Yep, you are right…basically, question everything!! Take nothing for grated!
Love,
Jane…now go back to bed!!! LOL!
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June 9, 2013 at 3:41 pm
Oh, CS! Your doggie! You did right by him….I have had probably over 30 dogs at least in my life, all strays from the street, and when they die, I line their graves (all in the front and back yards…I’m running out of room here…) with grasses and a rose if blooming.
We might rescue them, but we are so blessed to have them. They rescue us!
I’m glad you liked the poem. It was written last year at a particular time of researching ‘faith’ and mostly lack of it. It’s what I decided I could live with and grow with. This was the first poem, but there are a couple of others of the same vein…wonder, gratitude, etc…not directed to any God or religion…but something that I was working out.
The womb of the Universe is greater in all things than any womb we could have know, I think.
“PItcher of Moon”…well, I have written to my formatter this morning, and he’s a busy man, so I don’t know right now where that book stands….but! Nick Nicholson will do the graphics and cover. He’s a wonderful friend in Australia and a wonderful writer/photographer. Nick is so talented there isn’t an alphabet enough to describe his abilities.
Thank you so much, CS. You and CZ have kept me afloat at a very difficult time right now….testing the waters of so much.
Love,
Jane
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June 9, 2013 at 4:37 pm
Jane, I love the replacing of the preposterous and wicked concept of “original sin” (that’s an abomination of the gift of life in the universe) with the idea of “original blessing.” Of COURSE there’s no such thing as original sin. Anyone looking at a baby can see that. I also love that you have a creaturely burial plot at your property. At first I thought I was weird; but I had the grave dug for her in September, knowing the ground would freeze by midwinter; then I had to look at the dirt mound for another 5 months. We buried her during a blizzard, but the most important thing for me was that my hands were the last to touch her, I was the last person to settle her, to tuck her in. That’s how I thought about it. love CS
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June 9, 2013 at 4:59 pm
You got that right, CS. I never could get my head around this Original Sin concept. I was told by someone (a close relative) that of course babies were sinful…just look at how they were so egocentric! LOL! Oh, god…that really put me off…and off his religion! I think that was the first time that I thought about this stuff.
Pet Cementaries: Well, since we have 11 cats (had 12 and neighborhood dogs killed my beautiful Sushi last July 16…a long haired 2 year old Siamese rescue) and three dogs, I have a dog grave already dug in the water garden because I also have a 15 year old dog Merlin and sometimes my husband travels for his company. I have buried a huge collie in 92 degree weather myself….and don’t want to go that route again. So, I keep a grave ready for any dog. And for the cats?? Well, I have a few under the new rose bushes. LOL! Hope I don’t have to use them soon, though, but I do have a 16 year old cat, Rose. She is surly but very active. An old lady that doesn’t want to be bothered except fed. LOL!
Yes, you did the good thing with your doggie. And the last one to touch her, tuck her in. That is what we all should do. They live with us for as long as they are given, and they should stay with us after. I have so many dog and cat graves around the property that I have to remember what when I plant a tree or dig for a rose bush. But I think what you did was sensible and loving.
Hugs,
Jane
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June 11, 2013 at 1:38 pm
Morning Jane, I left a few comments at your painting blog. You are a wonderful artist. xx
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June 11, 2013 at 2:06 pm
Ahhhh…Thank You! You are the only one who has been there for years! LOL!
And good morning to you!
Hugs! Jane….PS…sob…they didn’t show, or take…but it’s enough to know you like the paintings!!! xx
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June 11, 2013 at 4:10 pm
When you say “take,” what does that mean? Didn’t catch on? They’re still fabulous watercolors. You can collect them all for publication, IMO. Maybe update the site, now that you can get more “press”? I’d post a few of them for people to look at in a post on my blog. I’m thinking about doing a post later, maybe in a few weeks, about ACoNs and creativity. There seems to be a link. xo CS
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June 11, 2013 at 5:43 pm
Yep…they didn’t show up on that blog….sigh. Probably because people haven’t visited that site in years…nor me, too. LOL!
I think a post about ACoNs and creativity would really be good. I think I tried to say something about that , though it wasn’t major points. on “It’s Strange to be Here”…
However, thi issue is very important for us…survivors of abuse, etc. Creativity somehow was the way out…or up…for most of us…I know it was for me. It was something to hang on too, when the NMs and FOOs were in your face. Ugh.
To dissolve those hateful things in the acid of your creativity was relief!
xox…Jane
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June 11, 2013 at 9:50 pm
Wow, dissolving hateful things in the acid of creativity. What a way to put it. I’m going to do an essay on this in a few weeks, when I’m ready to put it together. There are many terrible people who were narcissistic and highly creative (Picasso anyone? how many novelists?)–but they were doing it for different reasons. I don’t know what I think about this yet, but I’m mulling on it.I felt better today, freer, lighter, clearer, for having transcribed that 1987 letter. The support of my friends, older and brand spanking new has been SO crucial in this. I can feel an organic process happening with me, but of course the acid test will be a gathering of the entire FOO in a few months. But I trust that things have really shifted at that “tectonic” level we talk about. It takes forever, glacial pace really, but things are shifting. Your comments have been wonderful and helpful. Thanks for coming “on board,” to have someone of your gifts reading and sharing is more helpful to me than you know.
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June 11, 2013 at 10:11 pm
ps Jane I wanted to tell you about a movie I Netflixed about two months ago, with Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson–it’s called Hard Candy, about a serial predator. It’s worth watching, in light of your hideous uncle. It has a big payoff. just FYI
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June 11, 2013 at 10:15 pm
wow…i heard about that movie…and will get it. I generally don’t watch movies but when someone like you recommends one, I will.
and thank you..CS
Hugs…Jane
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June 11, 2013 at 10:16 pm
I’m going to respond to this privately CS, because I don’t want to tip my hat on your ideas yet…that will come when you write your post.
Hugs…
Jane
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June 27, 2013 at 1:16 pm
Online Article
Every once in a while we choose blogs that we read. Listed below are the latest sites that we choose
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