I was at a dinner last night honoring the Brothers of Mt. Calvary, the monastery which was burned to the ground in Santa Barbara last year. One of the brothers is a master calligrapher, and had set a wonderful Billy Collins poem in his beautiful hand. Perhaps it was that event that made the world seem so fresh and new this morning, a sense of lightness, of joy and gratitude sustaining my heart. Perhaps it was the experience of being with the Brothers, who despite the devastating loss of their home and all it contained, seem buoyed by love in everything they do. Whatever the case, I can think of nothing which better reflects the wonder of life than this poem.
Aimless Love
This morning as I walked along the lakeshore,
I fell in love with a wren
and later in the day with a mouse
the cat had dropped under the dining room table.
In the shadows of an autumn evening,
I fell for a seamstress
still at her machine in the tailor’s window,
and later for a bowl of broth,
steam rising like smoke from a naval battle.
This is the best kind of love, I thought,
without recompense, without gifts,
or unkind words, without suspicion,
or silence on the telephone.
The love of the chestnut,
the jazz cap and one hand on the wheel.
No lust, no slam of the door –
the love of the miniature orange tree,
the clean white shirt, the hot evening shower,
the highway that cuts across Florida.
No waiting, no huffiness, or rancor –
just a twinge every now and then
for the wren who had built her nest
on a low branch overhanging the water
and for the dead mouse,
still dressed in its light brown suit.
But my heart is always propped up
in a field on its tripod,
ready for the next arrow.
After I carried the mouse by the tail
to a pile of leaves in the woods,
I found myself standing at the bathroom sink
gazing down affectionately at the soap,
so patient and soluble,
so at home in its pale green soap dish.
I could feel myself falling again
as I felt its turning in my wet hands
and caught the scent of lavender and stone.
~ Billy Collins ~
Prayer: Dear God, Every moment is full of Your Splendour if I will only open my eyes and my heart. Keep me mindful of the wonder and joy of Your Creation, even as I go about my daily life. Amen.
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