A rediscovered poem
I've been in the process of moving these past two weekends, out of the guesthouse on the Mount of Olives and down into the valley to Wadi al Joz. I'm moving in with a South African fellow named David and will be joined in a few weeks by a volunteer from the Mennonite Central Committee named Peter. Hope it works out!
Anyway, in the midst of packing and moving I've rediscovered some old journals. I took the time to read back through the one I kept during most of college. I was surprised to find some pretty amazing stuff in there--not amazing in the sense of it being good literature or good poetry or anything, but just still relevant to me and my day to day struggle with life and all that it entails.
One poem in particular jumped out at me, I wrote it just after the graduation of the class ahead of me in college in 2006. A lot of my close friends were leaving, out to do exciting, new things, new adventures, new venues. And I wrote about this recurring situation in my life where I just fall absolutely in love with people who are leaving. I don't necessarily mean in any sort of romantic sense, although I'm sure there was plenty of that too, but just in a general human sense.
So, as this week we had yet another good-bye on the Mount of Olives, I thought I'd post this poem. It's a bit silly and pretentious, like most things I write, but there are some ideas in there that, if leave room for them, might actually manifest themselves as something beautiful and true.
And that's what we keep hoping for, I think.
I am always falling in love with people who are leaving me
one thing they agree on, all these writings, all these words
is that there is no such thing as leaving
just changing--from one life to another
from Son to Spirit--from wheat to grain--from here
in body to hear in heart
so--this is my prayer, now
that i fall in love with people who are leaving
not only because i love adventure--and the look of it in
their eyes (though that too)
not only because there's something dramatic about
saying good-bye (though, with my pride, it's that too)
not only because there's something so eternally poignant
about good-byes
and receding backs
but because when I can fall in love with what's left
when a Friend leaves
then maybe i am beginning to fall in love
with Love itself.
that is what i pray.
That I always fall in love with people who are leaving
because I am in love with that which arrives and arrives.
And arrives.
Amen.
Anyway, in the midst of packing and moving I've rediscovered some old journals. I took the time to read back through the one I kept during most of college. I was surprised to find some pretty amazing stuff in there--not amazing in the sense of it being good literature or good poetry or anything, but just still relevant to me and my day to day struggle with life and all that it entails.
One poem in particular jumped out at me, I wrote it just after the graduation of the class ahead of me in college in 2006. A lot of my close friends were leaving, out to do exciting, new things, new adventures, new venues. And I wrote about this recurring situation in my life where I just fall absolutely in love with people who are leaving. I don't necessarily mean in any sort of romantic sense, although I'm sure there was plenty of that too, but just in a general human sense.
So, as this week we had yet another good-bye on the Mount of Olives, I thought I'd post this poem. It's a bit silly and pretentious, like most things I write, but there are some ideas in there that, if leave room for them, might actually manifest themselves as something beautiful and true.
And that's what we keep hoping for, I think.
I am always falling in love with people who are leaving me
one thing they agree on, all these writings, all these words
is that there is no such thing as leaving
just changing--from one life to another
from Son to Spirit--from wheat to grain--from here
in body to hear in heart
so--this is my prayer, now
that i fall in love with people who are leaving
not only because i love adventure--and the look of it in
their eyes (though that too)
not only because there's something dramatic about
saying good-bye (though, with my pride, it's that too)
not only because there's something so eternally poignant
about good-byes
and receding backs
but because when I can fall in love with what's left
when a Friend leaves
then maybe i am beginning to fall in love
with Love itself.
that is what i pray.
That I always fall in love with people who are leaving
because I am in love with that which arrives and arrives.
And arrives.
Amen.
