(like a stranger I have stood by the world amazed)
The sun comes up
in its glory of physics
and goes down
in its glory of physics
and every day I doubt you.
Oh god, I have been foolish.
I have heard voices
and listened. I have fought
and lost and raged
at occupation. I may simply be crazy.
Like a stranger I have stood
by the world amazed
I have numbered the forces and loved
the fern curls of particles
and everything elegant delicate
charged and spinning
The law that bends the light -- is that
yours? My crooked heart
broken world.
Nothing has chosen me
Nothing calls
and I answer
Sometimes the call cuts my eyes
and so marked and circumcised
I stand, stranger
amazed and seeing
there is no reason
for the locust in fall to turn
so yellow
or let the smallest wind
spin down, leaf by leaf
its trust, its breath, its blessing
***
Psalm 119
_________________
The other day I was reading Psalm 119 on the bus, and was smashed by amazement -- which was not sufficient to get the Smiths' "Ask Me" out of my head.
If you read the psalm, you might want to know what caught me for lectio. (I don't usually say because I think it's usually obvious, but this is a long psalm, and one of the acrostics, so there's a lot of repetion in it.) I can't walk anyone through the whole lurch and spark, but maybe this is a start --
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
Psalm 119:18-19 -- King James, of course.
Oh -- perhaps I should footnote fern curls of particles, courtesy of my old stomping grounds at CERN.
Not sure what's happening with puncutation here. It's the sort of question that makes me barkers.
6 Comments
I love your lines: “I have numbered the forces and loved the fern curls of particles and everything elegant delicate charged and spinning” To me it sounds like “beholding wonderous things”
Thanks, Linea. To me “fern curls of particles” sounds like an example of “all trades, their gear, tackle, and trim”…. which is not a bad way to sound.
A couple of revisions: make “marked and circumsised” “unblinded, circumcised”
Possibly “silly” for “foolish.” I love that “silly” originally meant “blessed.”
Want to take out “I may simply be crazy” so bad — perhaps a good indication that I should leave it in.
The Christains are at it again. Today’s best note: “I think you probably are just crazy, if you hear voices. What makes you think God has choosen you! How arrogant! You should get some help, and stop doing this to the Bible.”
…And meanwhile other Christians are placing your poems like little icons in their mental chapels, coming in hushed and with heads bowed to praise the Creator…
Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
I feel fairly certain that when a writer’s work leaves the reader praising God, it is good work.
Here ends the Reading. ;)
Oh Lisa, thank you…
And my apologies for lumping all Christians together under “the” — I mean the Christians with a Capital K who clearly have some kind of “write to her today” mailing list.
Don’t worry, I knew who you meant. I wrote my comment partially for their benefit.
Cheers!