An Australian Gracewriter, Eliza, has allowed us to reproduce her thoughtful and beautiful poem on the blog this week – her thoughts that have sprung from the coronavirus isolation. Thank you, Eliza!
The Source
The gullible gulls have ceased searching in vain
for tossed chips beside the Tweed River.
And resigned to flap squall to the sea’s edge to forage for fish.
The butcher birds are bold and sit in
low banksia branches on the foreshore,
sharp eyes observing all.
The butterflies have blue-hazed the undergrowth
and shimmer in the sunlight, sheer delight.
Across the land nature calmly seeks renewal,
returning to its rhythms, source and cycles,
sage advice.
While we spin
And yearn
And ache for connection, desperate to leave behind
temporal scramblings for security.
We seek,
We seek, in isolation, in the dark hours,
in the sleepy sands of time we write our soul’s cry ‘Save Me’
and wake to the living Light,
to the vision of all Visions
and see our glorious luminous Source,
seeking us.
© Eliza 2020, used by permission
A response
I love this poem’s sense of nature continuing in its cycles and also adapting to less disruption from us… but also of human souls as part of the creation, continuing, adapting and returning to the One who made us.
I’ve found comfort during this time in watching seeds sprout in my veggie garden just as they always do, and native animals continuing with their life cycles. I’ve also observed a decrease in pollution where I live, and I’ve pondered that.
To me, this poem contains echoes of some of those thoughts I’ve been having. When I read it, I felt a sense of connection with another human being, and it turned my thoughts towards God.
Do you find writing nourishing?
Many of us have been moved to creative writing during this time. If you have any new pieces you’d like to share – especially if they are thoughtful or uplifting pieces – please comment with a link.
Do you find yourself turning to the arts sometimes lately for something more enriching than the news? Please comment about any particular writing from poets or authors that you’ve found nourishing lately.
Wonderful poem Eliza. Thank you for causing the reader to be still and observe creation in the midst of our isolation and uncertainty. To actually notice the delicate rhythms of nature that continue unfolding in spite of circumstances.
Above all, a reminder to continue seeking the One who relentlessly seeks us.
Thank you Sue. I love the way you’ve described your reaction.
I loved the reversal at the end of the poem – how our search for God leads to the realization that He is seeking us.
I agree, Dawn. It’s so beautiful and also comforting.
I love the image that accompanies this blog. There is a special quality to the light. I have been collecting seascape photographs for the past decade, and I continue to marvel that God can create so much beauty and majesty. The moment comes and goes, and is always replaced by another one equally moving.
Two lines from the poem reached through to set my heart racing. The gullible gulls are a constant part of my work journey, when I am outside with the children at school. There are fewer children at the moment, but they are still as hopeful that someone will leave their lunch unguarded… The second line was the one about blue butterflies. I get sent lots of videos, because I chose butterflies as one of my identifiers a while ago. (I used to be a prickly echidna, but now I am free to fly). Here in Tassie we have a speckled brown butterfly that I see regularly, and the white cabbage moths that frequent the garden. I only see the exotic ones when I am away from my everyday )i(
Thanks for reminding me that this time is but a passing moment. I went from this poem to revisit some of the videos I created while I was studying.
https://youtu.be/mG468Rc5uCo
Thanks Chrissy, I love the light in that image too. I chose it from Bigstock for the quality of the light. 🙂
I also love your video, especially the “can’t wait to leave, can’t wait to go back” lines at the end. I’m surprised the butterfly house was noisy. I’ve never been to one. I must go one day soon when the world is open again!