Sacred Life Sunday
“Lie back, daughter, let your head be tipped back
in the cup of my hand.
Gently, I will hold you.
Spread your arms wide, lie out on the stream and look high at the gulls.
A dead-man’s float is face down.
You will dive and swim soon enough where this tidewater ebbs to the sea.
Daughter, believe me, when you tire on the long thrash to your island,
lie up, and survive.
As you float now, where I held you and let go,
remember when fear cramps your heart what I told you:
lie gently and wide to the light-year stars,
lie back, and the sea will hold you.”
Phillip Booth, Words of Mouth
Entries
March 9th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I’m so glad these photos and this poem were the first things I looked at on my computer screen this morning. They set the tone for the whole day and REMINDED me to keep this a sacred (rather than working) Sunday.
Thank you for introducing me to a new poet. I read a bit of his bio and a couple of his other poems.
I probably will not remember most of the words of the poem but I won’t forget the beautiful, peaceful, trusting face of your daughter. I’ll carry the photo memories in a little drawer of my brain and pull them out when I feel like I need someone or something to hold me up.
March 10th, 2008 at 12:25 am
Elaine,
O, hurrah! My massage-therapist-turned-friend Camille gave me this poem for my pocket when I left the states. I needed it this week, and thought others might find it comforting as well. Much Shalom to you this day!
March 10th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
[...] On this dull, gray day — when to be honest, I had been feeling a bit melancholy — I suddenly felt a burst of summer sunshine in my heart and had a sudden urge to start dancing myself. Perhaps I was influenced by this jen lemen post? When the fountains were resting, I too, wanted to lie back in the water and let it hold me up. [...]
March 10th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I take back what I said. I’m going to memorize this poem. The way I experienced water yesterday soothed my stressed mind. Thank you again for this comforting post. Your massage therapist/friend and you are very wise.