Cathy Ross has a new poem for us written in 2026 and the subject is perfect for our time – a time when when many of us (of all ages) are searching for ways to keep ourselves enchanted by living and not just “getting through it all.”
The question is: How can we take our lives and find new ways to surprise ourselves with engaging and meaningful activities?
Spending time with Cathy’s poem is a good way to start.
Tim
BOOK OF KELLS
CATHY ROSS
2026
Long ago,
the Irish monks
saved civilization
by copying the Gospels
during the Dark Ages.
They spent their days
in cold stone cottages,
bent over sheets of vellum
with quill pens and black ink.
It could take months
to copy one book,
a year to do all four.
Page by painstaking page,
they devoted their lives
to this sacred task.
Isn’t it a wonder then,
that somewhere
along the way,
they decided
to try something new,
a leap of faith if you will,
and start embellishing
their work with colors:
purple scrolls, red chains,
golden arrows and azure knots,
entwining them around letters
to create stunning beauty.
Imagine the joy
they must have felt
after years of copying
in black and white,
to make these intricate designs
that, even today,
leap up from the page.
And what about you,
they might ask?
Do you spend your days
doing what you’ve done before,
following routines
and copying rules?
Are you writing your life
with the same pen and ink?
Today,
why not splash some color
in your margins, thread
some swirls and braids
around your words,
illuminate the edges of your life
with kaleidoscopes of creativity,
and make your own
Book of Kells.
CREDITS:
Writer: Cathy Ross
Photographs: Public Domain
Graphic Designer: Tim Olson
Editors: Lorelie & Tim Olson
NESTER url: https://notesfromanester.com
