Day 5 is with Liz today. Click here.
Join the Spiritual Thursday round up at Reading, Teaching, Learning.
For Spiritual Thursday, we are reflecting on the word “Merciful” today, Bobbie Ann Taylor’s One Little Word.
A Merciful Cinquain
Failure
clouds my vision
like fog in the morning
drapes the coming sunshine in
mercy
Every morning I drive to my school in the country while the sun rises. I am often in awe of the way the light plays in the sky. This image of fog covering the sun made me think about my feelings of failure. These are natural, I suppose, as a teacher who cares deeply for her work with children and as a writer putting her words out to the world every day.
Liz Steinglass inspired me to use a cinquain form (2, 4, 6, 8, then 2 syllable lines.)
One tenet of faith that I have trouble grasping is mercy. We are already forgiven even before we ask it. When I fail, I tend to wallow in self-doubt. I need to repeat the mantra I am worthy until I believe it.
“Surely goodness and mercy will follow all of my days. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23
Reflections on the Teche 
Thank you for honoring my OLW with your cinquain and its back story. I’m with you; as hard as it is to be merciful to others, it can be harder to be merciful to myself. I’m with you, too, in that especially when our vision is dimmed in the fog of failure, that’s when we really need to hold on to the Word, like the Psalm verse you expressed–to convince us that the sun of mercy–the Merciful Son–is always there, not to condemn, but to uplift with His rays of mercy.
Although the content of what you have written is foremost in my appreciation, I appreciate, too, your use and reminder of cinquain. That reminder triggered another remembrance: diamante, especially antonym diamante, since your cinquain struck me that fog and mercy have dimensions that are opposite, yet, I see them as interconnected, too, since I can’t help thinking that I need a merciful outreach most (& it reaches me most, when I’m open to it–when my resistance is down and my receptivity level is up) when I’m feeling totally lost in a fog….God bless you; thank you for your merciful poem/post!
Love the cinquain form. The sound and the shape of it. Beautiful post that reflects your thoughts and the photo.
Your post reminds me a bit of Linda’s and her thought of extending mercy to herself. I love how you have brought nature into your reflection.
Oh, that image captures so much. The cinquain goes perfectly with it. I love the Psalm, too. Everything in this post comes together wonderfully. Margaret, there is no reason to doubt yourself! You are doing amazing work in your teaching and writing. I admire you so much!
Thanks for reminding me of that beautiful scripture and sharing your poem. 🙂