Saturday, August 24, 2019

A Sacred Peace


What comes to me
In majesty
Is something every eye can see.
Surrounding and containing me
Are pieces of a greater whole.
Connected lives each fill a role
And speak to my expectant soul
Without a word. They set me free,
Imagining what hidden things might be
Existing underneath the macroscopic plane.
It’s not that there’s no loss or strain.
In conflict, competition, pain,
And death, so much of life is found,
But with it all, a greater hope is bound,
For somehow, stable ecosystems form,
Resilient to withstand each storm
That sweeps across the rooted, textured ground.
And here, as each new year goes round,
Death turns to resurrection,
And life’s eternal, grand direction
From young to old folds back upon itself to mold
A newer generation to behold
The future – to, perhaps, explore
The sacred peace their lives restore,
Which comes to me
And shares its harmony –
More beautiful than crystal chandeliers –
With bird songs ringing hymn-like in my ears.

As I begin to share poetry on this blog, this composition feels like a good starting point. It delves into some of the key themes that surface in much of what I write: my love of nature and my wonder in discovering the connections that link all of life together. It originated while I was circling a pond during one of my visits to the arboretum at the University of Illinois. Some of the phrases you just read began to grow in my head, so I sat down on my favorite bench, started writing, and didn't stop until the poem was done.

1 comment:

  1. I especially like that you shared where you were when the poem originated in your mind. The arboretum is so much a place of beauty and quiet reflection.

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