Sacred Life Sunday - Poetry

In response to my recent post about faith, Ladybug left me a comment including the following quotation from Joseph Campbell: "The problems with religion in our society throughout the ages all come back to the simple fact that people take (the word) as prose instead of poetry". This struck a deep chord with me because not only did it make sense, but also poetry is such a large part of my life - indeed it is a sacred part of my life!

I have been a lover of poetry since receiving a children's treasury of poems for my 7th birthday. Excitedly, I would look through the pages, and learn my favourite poems by heart. By the age of 12 I was trying to write my own poetry - rather crude poetry with no thought given to metre or rhythm, just hoping it would rhyme. As I grew older and wiser (in terms of both life and literature) my poetry developed and at 18 I had my first poem published in an anthology. And as my faith grew, my poetry took on an even greater meaning in my life - it became a way of expressing the beauty I could not speak of in any other way.

Poetry, real poetry, doesn't come from hours of sitting and trying to get the right tone or rhythm, neither does it come from years of study or thought - I remember being highly irritated by literature teachers who tried to teach me this!! True poetry, to me, is that which flows right from the centre of your being. It is the manifestation of your thoughts and desires, the prayer from your heart and the emotion you feel in the pit of your stomach. It is thoughtful, clever, witty, yet full of personality. It moves you on a level you cannot explain - it touches your soul.

By no means do I like all poetry - some pieces fail to touch me in any way - yet I am sure for someone, somewhere, they are the most perfectly formed strings of words and letters, enclosing the secrets of eternity within them. And that is what poetry is to me - a whispered secret, of wisdom and power so great and beautiful that sometimes I do not see them at first, but on coming back to meet it again and again a little bit more is revealed. The same words may be spoken to a thousand people and yet each one will experience something different. The relationship between poet and language and then poem and reader is so unique, there is no wonder that Campbell referred religion to poetry. What else is faith but an expression of the Divine in ways that we can share and understand? The connection we have to God, whatever that may be, is unique to us, because the whole of creation is so immensely powerful that no one person knows it all. It is by coming together, sharing in unity our own understanding and listening to another's interpretation that we learn and grow.

Life is beautiful, and so very sacred and what better way to share this than through art? For me, my canvas is paper and my paint is language - words and letters that when expressed with love can create the greatest masterpiece on earth. And so I leave you with one of my most favourite poems of all time. It is by Max Ehrmann and was written in 1927 and is called The Desiderata of Happiness.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,

they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain and bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.