Sunday, October 07, 2007

Poem by David Whyte: "Faith"

FAITH

I want to write about faith,
about the way the moon rises
over cold snow, night after night,

faithful even as it fades from fullness,
slowly becoming that last curving and impossible
sliver of light before the final darkness.

But I have no faith myself
I refuse it even the smallest entry.

Let this then, my small poem,
like a new moon, slender and barely open,
be the first prayer that opens me to faith.


David Whyte

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Beautiful poem. Reminds me that it is okay to be with oneself when one is lacking what one loves and desires. Have you seen morning poem by mary oliver? The sun rose beautiful over the ponds of teh world, whether or not you noticed.
Thanks.

Morning Poem by Mary Oliver
Every morning
the world
is created.
Under the orange
sticks of the sun
the heaped
ashes of the night
turn into leaves again
and fasten themselves to the high branches ---
and the ponds appear
like black cloth
on which are painted islands
of summer lilies.
If it is your nature
to be happy
you will swim away along the soft trails
for hours, your imagination
alighting everywhere.
And if your spirit
carries within it
the thorn
that is heavier than lead ---
if it's all you can do
to keep on trudging ---
there is still
somewhere deep within you
a beast shouting that the earth
is exactly what it wanted ---
each pond with its blazing lilies
is a prayer heard and answered
lavishly,
every morning,
whether or not
you have ever dared to be happy,
whether or not
you have ever dared to pray.

from Dream Work (1986) by Mary Oliver
© Mary Oliver

Ruth John said...

Thank you for this.I strive always to surrender to Faith and Hope and Joy when my life doesn't deliver.Nature's unnending renewal is an inspiration.

Ruth John said...
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