6.13.2008

Poetry for today

The Wider View

In my childhood I was wont
to see the horizon as a boundary,
The sky as roof, the wood as wall,
my world as intimate and small.
But as I learned of other places,
loftier heights and wider spaces,
The wonder in my spirit grew to match the fresh, unfolding view.
I used to think of life as breath,
a measured span from birth to death,
With Time the stern horizon line
to mark day's ending and decline.
But now I see beyond confusion,
all boundaries are but illusion;
That love's vast luminous creation
can tolerate no separation.
There is no barrier nor wall between us
and the All-in-All.
There's always more to do and be.
You can't exhaust infinity.

R. H. Grenville

7 comments:

annw said...

Hmmm.

Hot Olympic athletes, lovely poetry.

It's like I'm at a summer parade and you guys are tossing buckets full of my favorite candy straight at me.

Eric said...

Scott, that is truly a beautiful poem, and not one I've read before.

Does this mean the "existential whining" is over because you are at peace?

Stephanie said...

Anyone who has Peace needs to bring it the hell over to my house. Yahoo is telling me I've exceeded the maximum number of messages which can be sent in one hour (translation: I'm spamming everyone I know on this side of the Atlantic with my "Moving Sale" list)--aarrgh! I have furniture and appliance to get out of my apartment, dammit!! And those of you sitting around at a summer parade could also hop on a plane and get over here and sort through papers or clothes or something!!!

Nice poem, though.

Scott Rohr said...

Someone needs a drink.

And someone needs a gmail account. Yahoo is so over. You may as well be wearing a scrunchie.

deb said...

I'm trying to decide if existential whining is state or trait.

I will be unable to help with the packing-in-paris until I've figured it out. Really really sorry about that.

Stephanie said...

I have a gmail account for my consulting work, but I had to set it up to download into Outlook, because I LOATHE the gmail interface with every fiber of my being. I find the Yahoo interface MUCH more user-friendly. It's just unfortunate that Yahoo is a stupid-sounding name.

And if you think I need I drink, get over here and make it for me. And bring packing materials!

(You may not have noticed, but jet-lag and stress do not improve my normally Pollyanna-like disposition.)

Scott Rohr said...

OMG, I would love to come over and make you a drink and help you pack, but I'm making myself a gin and tonic right now, preparing to have another blogger and family over for dinner. Just some barbecued pulled pork, macaroni salad, fresh fruit (blueberries, raspberries, watermelon, bing cherries), baked beans, and a warm blueberry pie (it's still in the oven). Oh, I'm sorry, have I said too much?