It's not often I find poetry I really like. This made me upset for awhile, since poetry was my emphasis in college... I've tried to like all kinds of things, because I thought I should be open minded and broad in my appreciations.
But in December I read The Pilgrim's Regress by C.S. Lewis, a spin off of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. The character John catches glimpses of an enchanted island far away, and it awakens a great desire in him. Realizing it is the finest thing he has ever experienced, he leaves on a journey to find this island. At one stop he meets a group of people who tell him what good art is. When he disagrees, they tear him up for it. So he runs from them, only to have another person show him real art, but once again, John didn't find it beautiful. This point is interesting... the book says John only found beautiful the things which reminded him of his island, the things which redirected him to the source of his desire.
So, when it comes down to it, every encounter is either life-giving for me or it isn't. It may look different than what gives you life, which is alright, but each of us must pursue the things which give us life. In a fun game Matt Graham and I recently played in Barnes and Noble, we read from "Love Poems From God," the book with a silly title, but good poetry. It's the first poetry book in a long time that gives me glimpses of my island. I finally bought it last night. Here are some poems I wanted to share with you:
TWO GIANT FAT PEOPLE
by: Hafiz
God
and I have become
like two giant fat people living
in a tiny
boat.
We
keep bumping into
each other
and
l
a
u
g
h
i
n
g
.
RUMI, PAY HOMAGE
by: Rumi
If God said,
"Rumi, pay homage to everything
that has helped you
enter my
arms,"
there would not be one experience of my life,
not one thought, not one feeling,
not any act, I
would not bow
to.
NOT YET TICKLED
by:St. Teresa
How did those priests ever get so serious
and preach all that
gloom?
I don't think God
tickled them
yet.
Beloved-- hurry.
WRING OUT MY CLOTHES
by: St. Francis
Such love does
the sky now pour,
that whenever I stand in a field,
I have to wring out the light
when I get
home.
4 comments:
this is good. thanks for sharing these poems! i especially dug the mother theresa poem ... i look forward to the tickling.
it was so good to talk with you last night! i look forward to getting to see you soon!
peace and love dear ...
I am really really impressed. I never knew Americans knew about persian poet Rumi.
Way to go Faith!! I love your writing.
Sam
yes.
I love those poems. Wringing the light out is great, and I especially love the fat people poem. It keeps ringing in my head. But really I love your little quote at the top about failure growing beautiful. That nearly knocked me over. You have a way with words, my friend. Keep writing.
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