Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life March Challenge
Find more celebration posts at Ruth’s blog.
Holy Week always brings up for me a mixture of feelings. I feel a call to silent contemplation. Years ago I offered a Good Friday meditation. It originally came out of a prayer vigil from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday. I had signed up for the 6 AM time slot and was moved by the rising of the sun as I sat alone in the quiet church. We don’t have a vigil anymore, but the idea of sitting in quiet meditation early in the morning of Good Friday is still something I want to experience and share.
With four of us in the sanctuary, I read aloud Mary Oliver’s poem “I Happened to be Standing.” Mary Oliver is a favorite poet of mine. I love how simple and profound her poems are. I searched for this one. I remembered how it looked on the page, but I didn’t remember the title or which book it was published in. I located five of her books around my home, none of them placed together. Finally, A Thousand Mornings sang to me from the living room shelf, and there it was in all its humble glory.
I Happened to Be Standing
I don't know where prayers go,
or what they do.
Do cats pray, while they sleep
half-asleep in the sun?
Does the opossum pray as it
crosses the street?
The sunflowers? The old black oak
growing older every year?
I know I can walk through the world,
along the shore or under the trees,
with my mind filled with things
of little importance, in full
self-attendance. A condition I can't really
call being alive
Is a prayer a gift, or a petition,
or does it matter?
(Read and listen to the complete poem here.)
As I sat, I recalled Psalm 22 from the Maundy Thursday stripping of the altar. I wanted to respond to this psalm with my own psalm. I wrote:
Deus, Deus meus
My God, my God, why have you forgiven me?
The toll of the cardinal song
echoes You are my child.Long ago, I carried a child in my own womb
felt her heart beat with mine,
felt the soft body roll inside.Is this how you love me, God?
I held the hand of his father
as he passed into your light.
I let go of his quiet strength.Is this how you love me, God?
When I think on these things,
I can know kindness.
I can hear stillness in the noise.
I can feel love in the bird’s song.When you are near me, God,
My soul lives for you.–Margaret Simon (c) 2018
Happy, Happy Easter! May you find joy in the quiet and love in the sounds of the birds!
Reflections on the Teche 
Your poem touches something inside me. I have struggled to write something that focuses on Holy Week, but everything I started seemed so trite and obvious. Your poem just the opposite of that. Thank you so much for sharing. Happy Easter to you!
Carol the best teachers are poets themselves. When you turn to the specific, it becomes deeply personal and at the same time universal. I had a wonderful teacher who instilled that in me.
When you are near me, God,
My soul lives for you. Amen.
Joyful Easter!
Your reflection during the end of this holy week rings true for me as well. I’m not sure if a prayer is a gift or a petition nor am I sure it matters. I do think that our writing encourages our deep reflection and makes us look closely at the words we find in our lives.
I love this comment. Thanks. I turn to writing and especially poetry to express things I otherwise can’t.
Happy Easter!
Mmm… your psalm is deeply moving. I especially love this image: Long ago, I carried a child in my own womb/ felt her heart beat with mine,/ felt the soft body roll inside./Is this how you love me, God?” I love how this makes God accessible to me, how this makes clear the miracle of God’s humanity. Thanks for that. Happy Easter!
Margaret, I am moved to tears by your psalm. I could not help but think of Ephesians 3:14-19. I think it would be a wonderful Scripture pairing from Paul’s writing with your poem. “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (NKJV) Happy Easter xo
What a beautiful way to celebrate holy week, Margaret! Thank you for sharing. I recently discovered Mary Oliver and love her! My dear friend and fellow yoga teacher often begin yoga class with her poems. Congratulations on 31 days of writing! We did it! I hope to connect again soon!- Krista
That Mary Oliver poem is amazing. Thank you so much for sharing it in your reflection today! Way to go on 31 days! When March is over each year, I can hardly believe it. 🙂
This is a beautiful meditation for Easter. I think Easter is such a meaningful time, full of promise. Thank you for sharing the Mary Oliver poem. It is a new one to me!
Your poem is so beautiful. Easter is such a beautiful time to pause and reflect. I find myself going back and rereading your poem over and over. Thank you for sharing.
Love these words from your psalm:
“When I think on these things,
I can know kindness.
I can hear stillness in the noise.
I can feel love in the bird’s song.
When you are near me, God,
My soul lives for you.”
Happy Easter, Margaret and thanks for the lovely reflection and sharing of poems.
And now I simply must quit reading posts so I can fashion my final post of the month.
Margaret, your poem is particularly lovely at this time of year. “I can hear stillness in the noise.” “My soul lives for you.” Both thoughts are meaningful as I prepare for Easter Sunday.
Happy Easter, Margaret. I imagine from your words that you are finding joy this special day.