Holy Days

Poetry is an important part of how I understand the world. Poets can capture and express sentiments and half-formed thoughts that we haven’t been able to shape into full awareness on our own. So this week, when I found a poem shared by blogger Matilda Magtree, I was struck by its simple yet profound vision.

The small moments in life are what makes life so spectacular. So often we get caught up in drama and don’t see the holiness of the world around us. This brief poem reminds us of all the simple glories that await our attention each day. Focusing on these kind of moments, which take us out of ourselves, can illuminate and deepen our daily life. So read, enjoy, and begin to notice the holy moments of your own daily round.

What is Holy 

The white pages of a book.

The many ways a hand can open
     and close.

The brief darkness
     of a plane in front of the sun,
lives suspended overhead.

The way plants eat light—
     that is holy.

The endless voice of the ocean.

The streets of early morning
     when love lights shine from the windows
of the elderly.

The eyes of someone who has lost love.

It is in the breath, and gathers into
     small sounds:
bread, home, yes.

When you bite into an apple and taste rain.
     That is.

— Rosemary Griebel

(from  Yes, Frontenac House, 2011; and The Johnston House Literary Salon Series)

Related posts:

1. Exceptional Days
2. The 24 Days Before Christmas