-arise, my soul; and sing

At the outset, I must admit that I stumbled across this poem by Mr. Cummings from Matthew Gallatin. It has stuck with me and I thought I would share it here. A blessed and peaceful holiday to you all. Truly we have so much to be grateful for. And may our thankfulness spill over and be manifested in tangible demonstrations of love for our brothers and sisters near and far away.

Poetry Wednesday

now does our world descend

e.e. cummings

now does our world descend

the path to nothingness

(cruel now cancels kind;

friends turn to enemies)

therefore lament, my dream

and don a doer's doom

create is now contrive;

imagined, merely know

(freedom: what makes a slave)

therefore, my life, lie down

and more by most endure

all that you never were

hide, poor, dishonoured mind

who thought yourself so wise;

and much could understand

concerning no and yes:

if they've become the same

it's time you unbecame

where climbing was and bright

is darkness and to fall

(now wrong's the only right

since brave are cowards all)

therefore despair, my heart 

and die into the dirt

but from this endless end

of briefer each our bliss-

where seeing eyes go blind

(where lips forget to kiss)

where everything's nothing

-arise, my soul; and sing

Just Love

"Those who wish to see him must see him in the poor, the hungry, the hurt, the wordless creatures, the groaning and travailing beautiful world." from Wendell Berry's Jayber Crow

He Asked for Charity

St. Francis of Assisi

God came to my house and asked for charity.

And I fell on my knees and
cried,  “Beloved,

what may I
give?”

“Just love,” He said.

“Just love.”

  

Poetry Wednesday

I am going to take some liberties here and offer the section of Berry's work from which the above quote was taken. So it is a bit long but St. Francis' work is so short so dare to go the extra mile. I promise reading Berry is a million times better and more interesting than my own blather. Though the form is prose, the substance is, in my opinion, pure poetry. Watch out book club friends, this might be my next pick.

"For a while again I couldn't pray. I didn't dare to. In the most secret place of my soul I wanted to beg the Lord to reveal himself in power. I wanted to tell him that it was time for his coming. If there was anything at all to what he had promised, why didn't he come in glory with angels and lay his hands on the hurt children and awaken the dead solders and restore the burned villages and the blasted and poisoned land? Why didn't he cow our arrogance?...

But thinking such things was as dangerous as praying them. I knew who thought such thoughts before: 'Let Christ the king of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.' Where in my own arrogance was I going to hide?

Where did I get my knack for being a fool? If I could advise God, why didn't I just advise him (like our great preachers and politicians) to be on our side and give us victory? I had to turn around and wade out of the mire myself.

Christ did not descend from the cross except into the grave. And why not otherwise? Wouldn't it have put fine comical expressions on the faces of the scribes and the chief priests and the soldiers if at that moment he had come down in power and glory? Why didn't he do it? Why hasn't he done it any one of a thousand good times between then and now?

I knew the answer. I knew it a long time before I could admit it, for all the suffering of the world is in it. He didn't, he hasn't, because from the moment he did, he would be the absolute tyrant of the world and we would be his slaves. Even those who hated him and hated one another and hated their own souls would have to believe in him then. From that moment the possibility that we might be bound to him and he to us, and to one another by love forever would be ended.

And so, I thought, he must forbear to reveal his power and glory by presenting himself as himself, and must be present only in the ordinary miracle of the existence of his creatures. Those who wish to see him must see him in the poor, the hungry, the hurt, the wordless creatures, the groaning and travailing beautiful world.

I would sometimes be horrified in every moment I was alone. I could see no escape. We are too tightly tangled together to be able to separate ourselves from one another either by good or by evil. We all are involved in all and any good, and in all and any evil. For any sin, we all suffer. That is why our suffering is endless. It is why God grieves and Christ's wounds still are bleeding."

The Man in Black

He had made his decision and could not be persuaded to even reconsider. "Batman?" I queried. "How about a pirate?" But my youngest son was steadfast. "Johnny Cash," he replied every time. So Jared searched the Salvation Army and returned home with a perfect outfit: black jeans, black t-shirt, and, if you can believe it, a tiny black leather jacket. And thanks to Doug and Kim, we ascertained one stuffed guitar. Perfect. People seemed confused when Elliot would respond to questions of what costume he would be wearing for Halloween. I mean, don't all three-year-olds listen to Johnny Cash (he does have a children's album)? Well, they should. And I swear to you, I had absolutely no sway in Elliot's decision. Never even mentioned Mr. Cash as a possibility. So to you Elliot Andrew Jin-seo, for one night, you were the most amazing Man in Black. And I am just thrilled to have this song on our post because sometimes, usually, it makes me cry. 

My radiant sister-in-law Sarah and my sweet niece Josephine Frances whom the boys and I met for the first time. 

So Thomas wanted to be Jack the Pumpkin King from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Dear Jared did the face painting. And I was dressed up as June Carter. Just kidding. You know I have no other color in my closet.

And Russell. He demanded to be his pediatrician Dr. Omar. Doesn't he look like he has an amazing bedside manner? Such a winning smile.

The Man in Black.

And Thomas looking more like The Joker than Jack.

Sugar and Spice and Everything

So you remember the Wonder Twins' proclivity towards dumping? I absolutely am dumbstruck after another cinnamon incident–I had forgotten AGAIN to move the spice from the counter and to higher ground. Really this must be at least my eighth container of cinnamon. But for $1.09, I was assured an hours worth of entertainment, as well as a fragrant kitchen. So if you can't beat them, well, you know the rest. Yes. We are absolutely nuts. Shh. Don't tell.