I would like to lay outside and just let the wisdom of the world and universe gather around me, soak in leisurely. Wisdom takes time to gather and it sometimes seems so fleeting. It is in the slowness that the reward is most valued. It ripens more fully and reaches into all my nooks and crannies.
Mark Van Doren wrote this wonderful poem about the way wisdom seeks us out slowly and it unfolds as part of life’s experience.
Slowly, slowly wisdom gathers:
Golden dust in the afternoon,
Sometimes between the sun and me,
Sometimes so near I can see,
Yet never settling, late or soon.
Would that it did, and a rug of gold
Spread west of me a mile or more;
Not large, but so that I might lie
Face up, between the earth and sky,
And know what none has known before.
Then I would tell as best I could
The secrets of that shining place:
The web of the world, how thick, how thin,
How firm, with all things folded in;
How ancient, and how full of grace.
About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope, nonviolence and its anticipatory relationship with the future, as essential elements to teaching and learning.
Academic publications can be found at Ivon Gile Prefontaine on ResearchGate
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
This is a lovely post. I had always hoped (thought) I would grow old gracefully. I’m not sure it is happening, although sometimes I’m more graceful than others. When I think of graceful, older women I think that I would have to give up a little more than I want to give up. My husband often tells me I’m crusty with a great deal of love and admiration in his voice. I have good intellect and critical thinking but I’m not sure how much wisdom I’ve attained. Can we see and experience our own wisdom?
I think we do obtain wisdom. It just kind of sneaks up on us. Just reading your comment leads me to believe you have acquired wisdom. Humility is sometimes a sign and it was evident in the comment.
The most important thing for me is to live with integrity. I am who I am, and almost never try to be someone or something I’m not. What is most important for you?
I think it is the authenticity you allude to. It comes slowly with age and, hopefully, wisdom.
Yes. 🙂
Please accept the the Three Award Nomination information at http://willowdot21.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/three-award-nominations/ with love willowdot21.
Thank you for the kind gesture. It is appreciated.
Beautiful Ivon, thanks for sharing it.
You are welcome Sheri.
What a beautiful poem.
It is a lovely poem. It took some looking to find, but eventually it found me.
I love it when that happens!
Love to feel this again.
It is a nice feeling. As one person put, it is just a laying on your back and looking at the sky day.
o yes !
Love your intro into the poem, as well as the poem itself! These are flat backed, tree gazing days!
They truly are Marga. Thank you.
Wisdom and creativity like flowers need to be nurtured. Wisdom can only be obtained through the living and doing of life.
You are absolutely right Alex. It is living that is life and it needs to be savoured.
Beautiful. It’s something that I would collect and read it for years to come. Thank you for sharing this Ivan. Wishes for a lovely day. Sharon
You are welcome and thank you Sharon.
I am ever so grateful to you for enriching our thoughts every so often and make us gain wisdom through your writings/poems.This was a perfect read for a lazy Sunday Spring afternoon !
I am glad you enjoyed it Swati.
It is not often that worda can become visual, but both your introduction and the poem took me to an open field where one could lie and simply watch the world move slowly by, its secrets unfolding before my eyes. Thanks so much for sharing.
You are welcome and thank you for the comment.
Reblogged this on lost creek publishing.
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What a wonderful notion – soak in wisdom like we soak in sunshine.. Love it!
I love the analogy Rosalie. Wisdom warms the body and soul that way.
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