I contemplated skipping the poetry today… because, I completely forgot about it. But I pulled out the poetry book I am reading this year (although, I have not read a lick of poetry from it since you know who arrived!) and serendipitously, it fell open to the poem I am sharing today.
A few more moments spent searching on Pexels for a photo that will work and before I knew it, the post was ready to share!
The poem is so very fitting for my life right now and I hope you enjoy it as well.
Clearing
Martha Postlethwaite
Do not try to save
the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create
a clearing
in the dense forest
of your life
and wait there
patiently,
until the song
that is yours alone to sing
falls into your open cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it.
Only then will you know
how to give yourself
to this world,
so worthy of rescue.
Martha Postlethwaite, “Clearing.” Copyright © 2007 by Martha Postlethwaite. First published in The World of Prayer: Activists and Humanitarians Share Their Favorite Prayers (Orbis Books, 2012).
There is little about Ms. Postlethwaite on the interwebs and she has just a single book listed on Goodreads. I am ever so glad that this poem was included in Poetry of Presence II.
If you need more poetry in your life today, stop by and see who has gathered with Bonny today.
See you all back here on Monday with my word update!
Simply beautiful. Thanks for sharing it with us today. XO
(I don’t know how I would get through my days without poetry . . . )
Such a lovely, lovely poem Kat. Thank you for sharing.
I am so glad you didn’t skip the poetry today; this is just what I needed! Sometimes when it all gets to be too much, I will think about this poem and just try to create a clearing. Thank you, Kat!
I think many of us need a clearing. Thanks for this lovely poem.
that is beautiful and perfect for how I am feeling right this very moment.
Simple and effective! The perfect poem always seems to arrive at the right time — that is part of its magic.
What a perfect poem for this time in which we live. A clearing – just a small space is helpful. Thank you.
Just the verse I needed on a gray day. Thank you for sharing this month.