I love this poem. It reminds me of another favorite that uses the burning bush image - R.S. Thomas - The Bright Field.
I began reading The Emptiness Of Your Hands this Ash Wednesday morning as part of my morning devotions and intend to read it throughout Lent. Rarely am I so quickly caught up in a story. It will take strength and discipline not to read ahead, but to let each section be sufficient for the day. I admire your courage in this undertaking and am grateful that you wrote about it. I am looking forward to getting your next Poetry of Presence book. I offer my most recent poem below. I don't share much beyond a small poetry writing group (with Gloria Heffernan as our leader), but somehow feel it right to respond to your generous sharing of yourself. May your Lenten season be a blessing to you and all who know you.
What a wonderful lamp of a poem. Thank you for sharing! Prompted by Phyllis, I’m looking for a burning bush today. And, like you, very much looking forward to the next Poetry of Presence compilation, such a gift!
Wow! This is a light-filled comment, just overflowing! Thank you, Marie, for the gift of "Transfiguration," which provided "enough" just when I needed it. Thank you, too, for the gift of your kind words and your attentive digesting of my story from the streets. That experience was, for me, a transfiguration. May the story transfigure you in some way, too.
Went from a “trunk” to a small “carry-on case” over the long length of my life 😉. More paring down as I walk my Path…..
I love this poem. It reminds me of another favorite that uses the burning bush image - R.S. Thomas - The Bright Field.
I began reading The Emptiness Of Your Hands this Ash Wednesday morning as part of my morning devotions and intend to read it throughout Lent. Rarely am I so quickly caught up in a story. It will take strength and discipline not to read ahead, but to let each section be sufficient for the day. I admire your courage in this undertaking and am grateful that you wrote about it. I am looking forward to getting your next Poetry of Presence book. I offer my most recent poem below. I don't share much beyond a small poetry writing group (with Gloria Heffernan as our leader), but somehow feel it right to respond to your generous sharing of yourself. May your Lenten season be a blessing to you and all who know you.
Transfiguration
I watched most every day for
the sun to break through
the gray Syracuse winter
to offer a ray of hope.
After many days the clouds
finally opened. Though the
sun itself was not visible
its light created a radiant
halo around the uneven
fluff of white, showering
sparks in every direction.
I inhaled, breathed in the
brilliance. It lasted only a
moment, but like the soft
glow of a lamp illumines
the whole room or one
candle flame dispels the
darkness, it was enough.
Marie Jerge
February 2023 –
What a wonderful lamp of a poem. Thank you for sharing! Prompted by Phyllis, I’m looking for a burning bush today. And, like you, very much looking forward to the next Poetry of Presence compilation, such a gift!
YOU are a gift, Emily.
Wow! This is a light-filled comment, just overflowing! Thank you, Marie, for the gift of "Transfiguration," which provided "enough" just when I needed it. Thank you, too, for the gift of your kind words and your attentive digesting of my story from the streets. That experience was, for me, a transfiguration. May the story transfigure you in some way, too.
Am looking for a burning bush today. Thanks to you!
Did you find one? 😊