Thursday, April 21, 2011

Thursday Poem - Daily (For Earth Day)

These shriveled seeds we plant,
corn kernel, dried bean,
poke into loosened soil,
cover over with measured fingertips

These T-shirts we fold into
perfect white squares

These tortillas we slice and fry to crisp strips
This rich egg scrambled in a gray clay bowl

This bed whose covers I straighten
smoothing edges till blue quilt fits brown blanket
and nothing hangs out

This envelope I address
so the name balances like a cloud
in the center of sky

This page I type and retype
This table I dust till the scarred wood shines
This bundle of clothes I wash and hang and wash again
like flags we share, a country so close
no one needs to name it

The days are nouns: touch them
The hands are churches that worship the world

 Naomi Shihab Nye,
(from The Words Under the Words)

5 comments:

Cindy said...

This brought tears to my eyes, all of a sudden I just welled up. Such a surprise when that happens, to be moved unexpectedly, to feel that deeply.

"The hands are churches that worship the world"....the everyday tasks, the mundane, the repetitive. It's all sacred, comforting, centering. Just lovely. Thank you.

Tabor said...

What a lovely way to honor and important day.

the wild magnolia said...

It is a happy day to remember our earth and daily doings honor our way of life upon remembrance.

Thank you for sharing Naomi Shihab Nye, I love her poetry!

Wishing you all good health, provision and protection.

~the wild magnolia

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

Beautiful words that touch my heart. Thank you for sharing...

Laura said...

thank you for sharing this gorgeous poem....fills my heart with comfort.