Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Bearing Witness


Emily Dickinson had much to share with the world about life, and love, death and hope, and being human on a planet that has much to learn about compassion and forgiveness. Maybe most about hope. "Hope," she wrote, "is a thing with feathers That perches in the soul."

Here is one she wrote called: This Is My Letter To The World

This is my letter to the world
That never wrote to me
The simple news that Nature told
With tender Majesty

Her message is committed
To hands I cannot see
For love of her,
Sweet countrymen,
Judge tenderly of me.

--------------------------------------

And so, Christmastime is when hope perches in the soul of mankind perhaps more than at any other time of year, with its message of peace and goodwill. Here then is my Christmas message to all of you, my friends whose hands I cannot see, in the form of a question, many questions:

BETHLEHEM IN PLEIADES

Is there a Bethlehem
in Pleiades? --
A manger
made of stranger stuff
than hay
where a virgin,
silver-eyed and young
and far from home
laid another Babe
called Christ? --
Or is he called by different names
in Pleiades?
Was it a thousand
thousand years ago
or yesterday
he ran across the four-starred
square of Pegasus
and Lyrae
and Persei?
Is it, in all
the deep Manvantaras of space,
Christmas?
Is it winter on Arcturas?
Do angels carol and rejoice
in Andromeda
to an infant
born only NOW --
light years across the universe
among strange six-hoofed beasts
that stand and low and bray,
thunderstruck?
Do they see
just NOW
the star?


MERRY CHRISTMAS!

10 comments:

Jo A. T.B. said...

THis is beautiful Joyce, very interesting questions indeed. One in which we may one day know, probrably not in my lifetime! THe mere existence of the human race is truly a miracle in itself! :)

jillypoet said...

Hi Joyce! So good to hear from you! Your musings on other planets, other worlds, in reference to ourselves are wonderful. You've got me thinking!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

ps: I'm not a Buddhist, although I find it all very intriguing. I'm just a run of the mill Christian.

Anonymous said...

Am I allowed to say I've never really got Emily D? Her writing leaves me cold mostly. But I love what you wrote.

Anonymous said...

Joyce, this is a beautiful poem, so universal in feeling, as well as in space. Plus I loved the introduction with Emily Dickinson's words. Just right!

Tammy Brierly said...

Thought provoking and lovely Joyce.

Merry Christmas!

Anonymous said...

OMG that's amazing - the pic, the dickinson, the poem - nice...

Nienke Hinton said...

What a lovely post! I wish you a joyous holiday season too! I hope it's full of love, family and friends!

petra michelle; Whose role is it anyway? said...

A beautiful way of commenting on human behavior and its ability to
see Christ and act accordingly, or
pretend to see and act accordingly.
I love you too, Joyce! ;) A blessed and joyous Christmas to you
and your loved ones!

Anonymous said...

you delight, as always. Best of the new year to you and yours, my dear. sorry to hear about your brother-in-law. my condolences to your husband.

may peace and light and grace touch us all this year.

rick

Jo said...

Beautiful...as is most everything you pen...I'd love to chew the fat about the NOW. Thanks for being a beacon that can be seen from an ocean and many hills away! And Merry Christmas. Jo x