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David Whyte


There is a faith in loving fiercely

the one who is rightfully yours

especially if you have

waited years and especially
if part of you never believed
you could deserve this 
loved
and beckoning hand

held out to you this way.

I am thinking of faith now
and the testaments of loneliness
and what we feel we are
worthy of in this world.
Years ago in the Hebrides 

I remember an old man
who walked every morning
on the grey stones
to the shore of baying seals

who would press his hat 

to his chest in the blustering 

salt wind and say his prayer 

to the turbulent
Jesus 
hidden in the water

and I think of the story

of the storm and everyone
waking and seeing

the distant

yet familiar figure

far across the water

calling to them

and how we are all 

preparing for that 

abrupt waking, 

and that calling,

and that moment 

we have to say yes,

except it will

not come so grandly

so Biblically

but more subtly
and intimately
in the face 
of the one you know
you have to love

so that when 

we finally step out of the boat 

toward them, we find

everything holds
us, and everything confirms
our courage, and if you wanted 
to drown
you could, 
but you don't
because finally 
after all this struggle
and all these years
you don't want to any more

you've simply had enough

of drowning

and you want to live and you 

want to love and you
will walk across any territory
and any darkness

however fluid and however

dangerous to take the

one hand you know

belongs in yours.

  

-- David Whyte
      from The House of Belonging 

Comments

ProfoundAlchemy said…
Thank you jesus in Ange...

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