A poem for inner peace
I.
I go among trees and sit still.
All my stirring becomes quiet
around me like circles on water.
My tasks lie in their places
where I left them, asleep like cattle.
Then what is afraid of me comes
and lives a while in my sight.
What it fears in me leaves me,
and the fear of me leaves it.
It sings, and I hear its song.
Then what I am afraid of comes.
I live for a while in its sight.
What I fear in it leaves it,
and the fear of it leaves me.
It sings, and I hear its song.
After days of labor,
mute in my consternations,
I hear my song at last,
and I sing it. As we sing,
the day turns, the trees move.
—Wendell Berry
I have read through so many poems, trying to find one to fit for this holiday season. But today I found out that a dear eight-year-old girl who I care about very much has an inoperable brain tumor. She’s a lively little girl and I am close to her whole family, so I’ve cried and prayed a lot today. So my search for a fitting seasonal poem ended and I just needed something peaceful to read. Wendell Berry’s A Timbered Choir is a book of poems, among other things, I turn to for some quiet and calm.
The poem above reminds me of a hymn or biblical passage in the way it reads. There’s a specific rhythm and flow to the poem, which is part of why it’s so soothing. Also, though, the poem speaks to the importance of recognizing our fears and letting go of those fears. Sometimes we’re faced with fears we never thought possible or fears we didn’t realize we had. There’s an inner strength that comes from somewhere, from inside us, from God, and that’s how we face fear. I needed to be reminded of that today.
I also want to ask that you send prayers, or good thoughts or whatever goodness you can, up for this young girl. Her name is Julia. I’ve never made this type of request and don’t like to do so because your faith is your own, but right now she needs all the prayers, thoughts, and love you can spare.
-S
