There is a Homelessness
There is a homelessness, never to be clearly defined.
It is more than having no place of one’s own,
no bed or chair.
It is more than walking in a waste of wind,
or gleaning the crumbs where someone else has dined,
or taking a coin for food or clothes to wear.
The loan of things and the denial of things are possible to bear.
It is more, even than homelessness of heart,
of being always a stranger at love’s side,
of creeping up to a door only to start
at a shrill voice and to plunge back to the wide
dark of one’s own obscurity and hide.
it is the homelessness of the soul in the body sown;
it is the loneliness of mystery:
of seeing oneself a leaf, inexplicable and unknown,
cast from an unimaginable tree;
of knowing one’s life to be a brief wind blown
down a fissure of time in the rock of eternity.
The artist weeps to wrench this grief from stone;
he pushes his hands through the tangled vines of music,
but he cannot set it free.
It is the pain of the mystic suddenly thrown
back from the noon of God to the night of his own humanity.
It is his grief; it is the grief of all those praying
in finite words to an Infinity
Whom, if they saw, they could not comprehend;
Whom they cannot see.
– Sister Miriam of the Holy Spirit, OCD (Jessica Powers) Carmel of the Mother of God, Pewaukee, WI
Welcome back, Aeternus. This is without doubt one of the most sensitive and beautifully written poems I’ve ever come across. So much so I’m going to enquire about a book or books.And the picture is beautiful too. It was a relief and a surprise to find you posting again.
Comment by Ann — February 19, 2008 @ 3:39 pm
Ann, you are so very sweet and kind to notice my absence. I’ll try and be a bit more regular again. In any case, I was sure you would appreciate this poem! Sister has a plethora of poetry -all of which, I am sure you would enjoy.
Comment by aeternus — February 19, 2008 @ 4:08 pm
I had forgotten about Sr Miriam for some time…thank you for bringing her back to me with this very timely poem, Aeternus
Such a profound last verse! She knows how to express the inexpressible
teresa_anawim.
Comment by teresa_anawim — February 22, 2008 @ 8:27 am
Aeternus, Would you happen to know which book this poem is in? Thanks, Ann
Comment by Ann — February 24, 2008 @ 11:05 am
Ann,
Hello. Sorry, I was out of town and could not reply until now…
You can get her book which is published through ICS (Institute of Carmelite Studies) online at:
http://www.icspublications.org/bookstore/others/b_others07.h tml
Also, there is a book online you can read at Google book search:
http://books.google.com/books?id=FidDZaaHiEAC&pg=PA79&lpg=PA 79&dq=“Jessica Powers” “There is a homelessness”&source=web&ots=HU-mkvd7ZF&sig=rVEm00w9xEp-fK8M ABIrDfrkW6E&hl=en#PPP1,M1
I have not read all this book, but it has some interesting commentary.
Comment by aeternus — March 3, 2008 @ 12:31 pm
thanks, Lisa, for these links. I’ll be back to read your latest posts tomorrow.
Comment by Ann — March 3, 2008 @ 4:31 pm