Blue homespun and the bend of my breast
keep warm this small hot naked star
fallen to my arms. (Rest …
you who have had so far to come.)
Now nearness satisfies
the body of God sweetly. Quiet he lies
whose vigor hurled a universe. He sleeps
whose eyelids have not closed before.
His breath (so slight it seems
no breath at all) once ruffled the dark deeps
to sprout a world. Charmed by doves’ voices,
the whisper of straw, he dreams,
hearing no music from his other spheres.
Breath, mouth, ears, eyes
he is curtailed who overflowed all skies,
all years. Older than eternity, now he
is new. Now native to earth as I am, nailed
to my poor planet, caught
that I might be free, blind in my womb
to know my darkness ended,
brought to this birth for me to be new-born,
and for him to see me mended
I must see him torn.
Luci Shaw
(from WinterSong: Christmas Readings by Madeleine L'Engle and Luci Shaw)
betsey:jane will return Wednesday, December 22. In the meantime, we wish you a very merry Christmas!
2 comments:
Amazing Thank-you
Beautiful and brings a memory! I believe I read this poem at a CT Christmas program, years ago. Because I was expecting that I was asked to do a reading. At the time I went to the same church as Luci Shaw. The night before the event she kindly helped me practice. Love this poem. She helps us see and know this baby as God. Thank you.
Virginia Vagt
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