To enter life, be food

~ Live & Learn

honey-jar

Sometimes the way to milk and honey is through the body.
Sometimes the way in is a song.
But there are three ways in the world: dangerous, wounding and beauty.
To enter stone, be water.
To rise through hard earth,
be plant desiring sunlight,
believing in water.
To enter fire, be dry.
To enter life, be food.

~ Linda Hogan, The Way In, from Rounding the Human Corners

Linda Hogan, 66, is Chickasaw. She is an internationally recognized public speaker and writer of poetry, fiction, and essays. Her books Rounding the Human Corners and Mean Spirit were Pulitzer Prize nominees. In poetry, The Book of Medicines was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her other poetry has received the Colorado Book Award, Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, an American Book Award, and a prestigious Lannan Fellowship from the Lannan Foundation. In addition, she has received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship and has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas. Her main interests as both writer and scholar are environmental issues, indigenous spiritual traditions and culture.

Image Source: Jon Brown. Poem Source: Christina Sanantonio. Bio Source: Linda Hogan’s website & wiki.

23 thoughts on “To enter life, be food”

  7. So I can’t get that phrase out of my head. Not sure what it means exactly, think of substance, necessity, don’t take, give. I often have thoughts after reading LLL. Your posts, especially your personal ones, are food–for the heart, mind and soul.

    There was a post from earlier this week that had at its heart at desire to call up gratitude at will as opposed to the surprisingly ways it arises sometimes. And while I do think it is important to be grateful and aware of all that I have to be grateful for, I think the ability to call it up “at will” kind of diminishes it somehow. In the middle of stress, tension, irritation, annoyance, frustration, you name it, suddenly, out of nowhere, this wave of gratitude washes over me and I take a breath, relax, I say thanks and then I continue on. I think it is less important to be able to call it up at will and more important to recognize and appreciate it when it comes.

    As I write this, I recognize and appreciate all that LLL and you, David, contribute to my life. To enter life, be food. You, dear David, are food…

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    1. Thank you Carolann. Your kind thoughts mean a lot to me. I read your comment yesterday and you have me thinking – maybe, just maybe, it’s not intended to be called up at will. Just let it flow. Thank you Carolann. Let it be, let it be food.

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