Dizzy, Drunk, and Dancing

Summer in the Methow

Purged from the hive,
she hovers, then
dives
into the stamen’s glow.

Spring gold
A whirling dervish
on the Nootka rose
I want work like that!
Work that makes me dizzy
Makes me drunk on sweet nectar
finds me dancing
across the plush, pink petals of all that I love.

-Kathy Heffernan

I was riding the route 14 bus last Thursday toward downtown and gazed up at the words and images posted overhead.  My eyes were of course drawn to the poem in the midst of all the advertising.  The Methow is a valley in the North Cascades.  I read the words and instantly fell in love with them, they evoked in me the dizziness and delight they speak of and so I reached into my bag for my little notebook and pen I keep to jot down moments of inspiration or reminders for myself.  I looked over at the name of the poet and another layer of delight was added when I saw who it was — a dear friend of mine who I know has a poem published on the city bus but I had never seen the actual poem before.   Kathy is a chaplain, a pastoral counselor and spiritual director, a poet and artist, and a soul friend.  Somehow it made the poem all the more wonderful.  May we all be blessed with work that makes us dizzy, drunk and want to dance.  Most days I actually feel that way about my work.

Sorry to post this a day late, but Songbird is the winner of my drawing for a set of my water series notecards. Send me your mailing address and they will be off to you! Thanks to everyone who participated!

-Christine Valters Paintner @ Abbey of the Arts