Maria, this is beautiful. I especially love the image of the heart following the river — it feels so alive and true to the way spring moves through nature and through us. Reading this, I could almost feel that quiet but unstoppable life-force you describe. Your words carry a gentle strength that is very touching. Thank you for sharing this. It made me pause and remember how deeply we are part of the same living flow. 🌿
if we look at the imagery in the best devotional verse, in Herbert and Hopkins, or in the psalters or books of prayer, we find that it tends to be grounded in the natural world. Metaphors of rivers and mountains, stars in the sky, budding flowers, trees from seeds. The desolation of winter, the return of spring. The devotional poet sees into these things the forces which govern their nature. Their notions of hope and grace, mercy and salvation, are no less a product of their observations of nature as those who observe that life is only suffering, only cruel and brutish, and then you die. What the devotional poet pursues, even in their lamentations, is the mystery of what is there but cannot be seen. In this way they train their faith through writing. - Robert Charboneau
Maria, this is beautiful. I especially love the image of the heart following the river — it feels so alive and true to the way spring moves through nature and through us. Reading this, I could almost feel that quiet but unstoppable life-force you describe. Your words carry a gentle strength that is very touching. Thank you for sharing this. It made me pause and remember how deeply we are part of the same living flow. 🌿
Thank u so much for your reflections and for your depth of feeling. I am happy the poem touched you. 🪻
This is such a beautiful invitation to spring!
Thank you so much Lucy, glad you liked. ♥️
if we look at the imagery in the best devotional verse, in Herbert and Hopkins, or in the psalters or books of prayer, we find that it tends to be grounded in the natural world. Metaphors of rivers and mountains, stars in the sky, budding flowers, trees from seeds. The desolation of winter, the return of spring. The devotional poet sees into these things the forces which govern their nature. Their notions of hope and grace, mercy and salvation, are no less a product of their observations of nature as those who observe that life is only suffering, only cruel and brutish, and then you die. What the devotional poet pursues, even in their lamentations, is the mystery of what is there but cannot be seen. In this way they train their faith through writing. - Robert Charboneau
That's a beautiful comment, thank you! ❤️