It's Spiritual Journey Thursday, an open gathering
for bloggers who write on the first Thursday
of each month about spiritual topics.
Karen is
our host for this month and provided
this prompt: "I bind unto myself today..."
The words of a favorite hymn, (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing) arrive, unbidden, to help me write this post.
Carol's tanka provides the form.
Ken Nesbitt explains it to me. (Did you know tanka means short song?)
"Inspired by a hymn"
Stymied by a prompt
"Bind unto myself today"
Words from a hymn come
Oh, let thy goodness, Lord, bind
my wandering heart to thee
There's nothing quite so delightful as being inspired by other bloggers. Thanks, Carol, for inspiring my very first tanka. And thanks to years of singing hymns so that their lyrics are written in my heart.
I bind unto myself today
the words of hymns to guide my way.
Sometimes, I participate in Poetry Friday. Our host for this week is
Ramona: I love this post... yes, the words of hymns are a good light unto the path. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYour first tanka is absolutely beautiful, Ramona! Seems this prompt - lovely as it is - "stymied" many of us. It did beckon a lot of reflection - and this uplifting song of faith. How masterful, arriving at "bind my wandering heart to Thee"! I once had a pastor's wife say she learned theology from the old hymns.
ReplyDeleteta DA! How wonderful and rich, your tanka. When words fail, music fills in and takes us where we need to go. Hallelujah!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tanka! Lovely. There is something so musical about "Bind unto myself today" - and you captured this beautifully.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, Ramona, to intwine your hymn & your heart into this tanka.
ReplyDeleteYes, words from hymns, like words from Scripture, come as needed when you have hidden them in your heart
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Diane Keeps Writing is a new blog from newtreemom- I am hoping, among other things, it is a solution to the problem I have had with writing comments for my friends at blogspot.
ReplyDeleteInspiration has no boundaries! Those last two lines create a lovely prayer.
ReplyDeleteRamona, I love the line that inspired you from "Come Thou Fount." I need God's help to "bind my wandering heart to thee." Thanks for linking to all your inspirations!
ReplyDeleteRamona, I think my eyes are playing tricks on me. I read your post several times on different days and thought I added my comment but it is not here. I distinctly remember commenting on this line that seems to be true for many SJT writers: Stymied by a prompt. Then, in my mind and I supposed on the computer that "Oh, let thy goodness, Lord, bind/my wandering heart to thee" felt like a beautiful prayer. Thank you for always finding hymns that are celebratory, Carol's tanks, and Kenn Nesbitt's blog post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this poem with us today. It invites us to ask what we have bound ourselves to in our own day ...
ReplyDeleteI just wrote my post today, and I'm reading everyone else's. I love yours, and share your gratitude for years of singing hymns.
ReplyDelete