Sunday, April 8, 2012

Happy Easter


Make visible what, without you, might never
have been seen.

Robert Bresson


Since I left the Catholic Church, I feel a bit lonely about Easter. But that's all right. My faith in renewal, in the divine all around us, in love, remains. I remember this poem:



The Palm at the End of the Mind


After fulfilling everything
one two three he came back again
free, no more prophecy requiring
that he enter the city just this way,
no more set-up treacheries.
It was the day after Easter. He adored
the eggshell litter and the cellophane
caught in the grass. Each door he passed
swung with its own business, all the 
witnesses along his route of pain
again distracted by fear of loss
or hope of gain. It was wonderful
to be a man, bewildered by 
so many flowers, the rush
and ebb of hours, his own
ambiguous gestures--his 
whole heart exposed, then
taking cover.


--Kay Ryan



Happy Easter.

13 comments:

  1. beautiful prose, elizabeth.

    i, too, feel lonely on these high holy days; sometimes i find a meal with family fills my soul. somehow i do still miss the kneeling and standing in unison(so strange), and of course joining in a choir of millions.

    happy renewal to you, elizabeth.

    xo
    adrienne

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  2. I was thinking this morning about the need to seek eternal life and wondering why I don't have the need.
    This one- this ONE life- why shouldn't that be enough?
    Eggshell litter and all.
    Good morning, Elizabeth.
    We are all risen on this morning. And so shall we be tomorrow.

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  3. Happy Easter to you and yours.

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  4. My friend Beth sent me an email with the following comment that Blogger was reluctant to publish, for some reason. Thank you, Beth!

    "It somehow gives me comfort that the Lone Ranger has Sophie's back, along with you and her dad and brothers.

    Lovely Bresson quote and Ryan poem.

    And your words, about faith in renewal, the divine all around us, and love give voice to my own thoughts as I experienced my own (non-communal) sunrise service in our woods earlier this morning."

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  5. I second Beth (though I was in only my interior woods this morning)---beautifully apt quote and poem.

    wv airie dusteral---some kind of fairy glitter?

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  6. Blessed Easter to you and your beautiful family, Elizabeth. I think God is not "denominational" - I have to believe He loves us all, unconditionally.

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  7. i am new here, exploring links from other bloggers i love. enjoyign what i find here. wishing you a beautiful day.

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  8. beautiful post. this song seems appropriate:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MDlMdu2gjw&feature=related

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  9. Kamana: Welcome! I hope you'll come back to visit soon --

    Taradharma: Wow. I've never heard that song of Leonard Cohen's. So perfect in so many ways. I am grateful to you for linking to it. I might have to print out the lyrics as a post one day!

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  10. Hope you had a great Easter! I too think of it in a sense of general renewal. :)

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  11. Was thinking of you the other day, watched a documentary called "Stepping into Liquid" It is a beautifully photographed piece about....surfers! Young, old, male, female, professionals, nonprofessionals. It is an adventure that takes the film makers all over the world..it was heart warming and incredibly breath taking and I couldn't help but think of you! Happy Easter dear Elizabeth to you and your beautiful family!

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  12. Easter is not lonely for me, but weird. "Let's bow our heads and praise the risen Lord" says the man before dinner and I pretend I am Margaret Mead. Here to observe without bias. Thanks for the beautiful poem.

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  13. this poem leaves me breathless. happy easter to you and yours :).

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