Some mornings I wake and the peace
that I tried to find yesterday finds me—
arrives in the open palms of the river scent,
in the erratic path of the warbler,
in the low golden angle of sun as it slants
through the gray knuckled branches of cottonwood trees.
Even the broken watering can seems to bring me
news of what’s been here all along—
the peace that holds up the turmoil, the mess.
And the dried grasses in the field
and the tiny new leaves on the currants
gather me into them. They’re like old friends who say,
It’s okay, make all the mistakes you want
around us. Some mornings, through no effort
of our own, we are gathered into the peace
of the patient lichen and the still pond.
It’s the difference between breathing
and being breathed, between asking for grace
and finding that grace has been asking for us.
This is really beautiful.
Susan, thank you … if only I could always surrender!
This poem oozes peace. Actually, I feel that about everything I read here. There’s a sense of sacred stillness which is calming to my soul. I love your writing style, Rosemerry. It reminds me of Mary Oliver’s with its reflective character, gently probing questions and deep appreciation of creation and all it has to teach us. Thank you! 💜
what a beautiful response, Joy … thank you. I do deeply appreciate creation, and I do love poems that bring up questions in me that I can’t answer … and yes, for a moment, I experienced such peace … thank you for this thoughtful resonance, Joy.
Rosemary, I love this poem, always lifts and bends me, makes me do a little dance to you in Placerville. This morning my Sunday Buddhist teacher, David Chernikoff, read it to the group — followed by a great talk on gratitude. It’s the IMCC group out of Boulder, online each morning, fantatsic. Many in the group wanted to know how to find it — and if you like, I could give them your email to get on your daily morning offering. Hugs to you, and hope the sky is still blue chez toi — hot, smoky here, but you know, it’s still sunlight. Un grand merci for your voice and presence, ma chere. beaucoup de bises, Sandy
Hi sweet Sanderling–this note makes me so happy! And yes, of course, please share the info on the daily poems. I am in Denver today with my stepdaughter and her fiance and Vivian–it’s so hazy here, too. Sunlight, but as if before or during an eclipse. Sending you giant love,
r