Ithaka

Nearing the end of the year makes me think about the year that just passed. In Simple Abundance the writing features some words written about Ithaca, the legendary home of Odysseus a wanderer, a traveler, a journeyer of epic proportions.  I thought it might be nice to write some of my own verses to the poem origianlly written by Constantine Peter Cavafy. First, his words:

As you set out in search of Ithaka
Pray that your journey be long,
full of adventures, full of awakenings.
Do not fear the monsters of old....
You will not meet them in your travels
if your thoughts are exalted and remain high,
if authentic passions stir your mind, body and spirit.
You will not encounter fearful monsters
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not set them in front of you.

And from Sara Ban Brethnacht:

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
your arrival there is your destiny.
But do not hurry the journey at all; be patient.
Better that it lasts for many years--
longer that you can even imagine
So that finally, when you reach this sacred isle,
You will be a wise woman,
abundantly fulfilled by all you have gained along the way;
No longer expecting Ithaka to make you wealthy.

And now my verses:

Pray that your journey be long
Full of bright new mornings
When with much pleasure and much joy
You anchor in harbors never seen before;
Pray that you will find many riches along the way
in the faces of the people you meet
and the way that you choose to serve.

Pray for the opportunity to create and explore
Many new ports in your life,
with all the richness that a
wide and broad world can offer

Pray that this journey is lived in the
The present in such a way that
Transformation is a blessed and joyful
Event that brings wholeness to all
Who choose to journey there.

As you near the shores of Ithaka
Be grateful for the wisdom, authenticity,
Integrity, compassion, and kindness that
Are gifts of the Spirit within.
Be grateful for the gifts that are the true
Treasure of life.  Finally understanding
What all of life's Ithakas truly mean.