Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The Heart-in-waiting

This poem came across my email the other day and so I thought I'd share it with you:

The Heart-in-waiting

Jesus walked through whispering wood:
'I am pale blossom, I am blood berry,
I am rough bark, I am sharp thorn.
This is the place where you will be born.'

Jesus went down to the skirl of the sea:
'I am long reach, I am fierce comber,
I am keen saltspray, I am spring tide.'
He pushed the cup of the sea aside

And heard the sky which breathed-and-blew:
'I am the firmament, I am shape-changer,
I cradle and carry and kiss and roar,
I am infinite roof and floor.'

All day he walked, he walked all night,
Then Jesus came to the heart at dawn.
'Here and now,' said the heart-in-waiting,
'This is the place where you must be born.'

By Kevin Crossley-Holland, from Selected Poems, 2001; Photo by Ina Hramacek.

1 comment:

me said...

Wonderful stuff! The words that struck me, were 'I am shape-changer'

I remember asking Jesus to reform my son's injured brain, before an operation, seeing as He had formed it in the first place, why wouldn't He be able to re-form it? I had the mustard seed of faith, so it was down to His will. Well, He did reform my son's brain! A whole mountain shift for me, faith wise.

I like your blog. Christianity and poetry. A nice Christmas present find.