I Pray to the God of the Willow Tree

Today's post is more typical of my "weekend editions," when I usually offer someone else's words. But this poem is so lovely and timely that I thought it would be best to share it with you today. It's a perfect follow-up to yesterday's message about forest bathing. And a prayer for peace is one we can all share at this difficult time. 

I first heard this poem on Monday, when our yoga instructor read it at the end of our class. I know that she is very gifted, so I wasn't totally surprised to learn that she wrote it herself. But as I told her, my money had been on Mary Oliver. What do you think?

I pray to the God of the willow tree and the oak
I pray to the God of the rain drops and the thunderstorms
And to the divinity in the hummingbird who drinks just a single drop of sweet nectar at a time
I stand in awe of the star bright enough to shine above my city sky
And to the one dimmer, or farther, or maybe smaller, that barely twinkles above the mountain retreat.
I pray to the power of the ocean and the spirit of the hard, rocky, unfurled land.
I rejoice with the force of wind, and sun, and snow.
I bow to those things that fly and stand with my hands pressed together at my heart to those that crawl and scamper and to the ones that slither beneath the ground.
I believe in the soul of the world and in the one in you.
The dragonfly is magical, as are the wonders in the Hubble photos.
They share the same soul- the grasshopper and the mysteries galaxies away.
-a spark also in me and you.
Bear grass can be found in bouquets to celebrate both the living and the dead.
But it is no better than the crabgrass my neighbor sprays with poison.
They are both grass, and beautiful and created with the prayers of magic and the soul of all 
things.
I pray to your God.
And to the God of the women in the Burka.
I pray to him and her and Adonai and to the ancients and those yet to come.
I pray to the one who made you and the oak and the hummingbird and the dragonfly and those 
things in the photos galaxies away.
I pray that we can all live together- in peace.
~Tara Atkinson 
 
Curly willow

Thank you, Tara, for sharing your great gifts with us and for the kind permission to share your poem here. May it be so.

Until tomorrow, be safe, dear ones.

Love,
Nancie/Mom/Mimi/Grandma

Comments

Pat Crane said…
Tara's beautiful poem was indeed a perfect one to share today. Her acute observations of nature, from the trees to the creatures that "slither beneath the ground," along with hummingbirds and grasshoppers, reminded me very much of Mary Oliver. Yet Tara's words rang out in her own clear voice. Her comparison of bear grass with crabgrass really touched me: "They are both grass, and beautiful and created with the prayers of magic and the soul of all things." The image that we all share the same spark, the same soul, be it in a grasshopper, the far off galaxies, or in each of us, spoke to me. May her prayer "that we can all live together- in peace" become a reality. A special and heartfelt thanks to Tara for letting you share her poem with us.
June 3, 2020 at 11:51 AM
Nancie Potter said…
I agree with you completely, Pat. Thank you for taking the time to add this kind comment.
June 3, 2020 at 10:11 PM
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