fishing pond, image by Dede, on Pixabay, modified
His Pond
After the funeral
the young man’s friends and family
brought his ashes to his favorite place
in all the world: his pond.
I said the words of committal
under blue sky
at the edge of still waters.
We added his ashes
to the shore
and offered his memories
to the murmuring weeds
and hovering clouds.
His brother took my prayer book
and handed me a fishing rod.
“Larry would be happy for you to catch a fish.”
After a cast or two
I felt the pull on my line.
A beautiful rainbow trout
offered a shimmering, wordless
benediction.
*
Time in Meditation
Time in meditation helps
to balance the noise and demands
of even an ordinary day.
I choose silence, putting off the temptation
to accompany my pondering
with fine music or recorded chants.
It doesn’t take long for silence
to object. “You chose stillness,
not silence,” sing the crickets.
Waves keep time to the rhythm
of wind and the pull of the moon.
Leaves riff green bits of counterpoint.
Birds sing. My heart beats.
The day is full of invitations
to be part of the fluttering,
pulsing, throbbing, sighing,
sifting plenitude of blessed providence
on this ordinary day.
I choose delight.
Wendy Jean MacLean's work has been shaped by lifelong engagement with scripture, mythology, and literature. She has been published in Presence, Ancient Paths, Bearings Online, Crosswinds, and Streetlight, and three volumes of her poetry have been published. She is a columnist for Gathering, a grassroots liturgy resource. Her poetry has been commissioned by many Canadian composers and sung internationally. Wendy is a spiritual director, meditation leader, and United Church of Canada minister.
(December 2023 issue)
I love this: "a shimmering, wordless benediction."