The Good
The good are vulnerable
As any bird in flight,
They do not think of safety,
Are blind to possible extinction
And when most vulnerable
Are most themselves.
The good are real as the sun,
Are best perceived through clouds
Of casual corruption
That cannot kill the luminous sufficiency
That shines on city, sea and wilderness,
Fastidiously revealing
One man to another,
Who yet will not accept
Responsibilities of light.
The good incline to praise,
To have the knack of seeing that
The best is not destroyed
Although forever threatened.
The good go naked in all weathers,
And by their nakedness rebuke
The small protective sanities
That hide men from themselves.
The good are difficult to see
Though open, rare, destructible;
Always, they retain a kind of youth,
The vulnerable grace
Of any bird in flight,
Content to be itself,
Accomplished master and potential victim,
Accepting what the earth or sky intends.
I think that I know one or two
Among my friends.
BRENDAN KENNELLY
O King of Stars!
O King of stars!
Whether my house be dark or bright,
Never shall it be closed against anyone,
Lest Christ close His house against me.
If there be a guest in your house
And you conceal aught from him,
’Tis not the guest that will be without it,
But Jesus, Mary’s Son.
THIRTEENTH-CENTURY POEM, TRANSLATED BY KUNO MEYER
Soul Searching
Come, O beautiful soul!
Know, now, that your desire beloved lives hidden within your heart.
ST JOHN OF THE CROSS
Jesus Christ, the Apple Tree
The tree of life my soul hath seen,
Laden with fruit and always green:
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the apple tree.
Its fruit doth make my soul to thrive,
It keeps my dying faith alive;
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree.
ANONYMOUS AMERICAN HYMN, FOUND IN 1784
Love Story
Oh, when a soul is hid in thee
For what adventure can it yearn
Save love and still more love to learn,
And thus to love increasingly,
So deep does love within it burn?
My God, I pray thee for a love
That yearns until I see thy face,
And builds itself a nest above
Within its true abiding place.
ST TERESA OF ÁVILA
Feast at the Banquet
You who have fasted, rejoice today.
The table is set, approach it without thought of the past;
The fat calf is served, let all eat their fill.
Partake of the Banquet of faith;
Let all drink from the riches of mercy.
FROM THE OFFICE OF MATINS IN THE BYZANTINE RITE
I Believe
I believe – that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I believe – that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I believe – that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.
I believe – that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I believe – that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I believe – that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I believe – that you can keep going, long after you can’t.
I believe – that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I believe – that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I believe – that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I believe – that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I believe – that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I believe – that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down, will be the ones to help you get back up.
I believe – that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.
I believe – that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.
I believe – that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I believe – that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.
I believe – that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.
I believe – that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I believe – that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I believe – that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you.
I believe – that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you – you will find the strength to help.
I believe – that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I believe – that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
I Love You
I love you,
Not only for what you are,
but for what I am when I’m with you.
I love you,
Not only for what you have made of yourself,
But what you are making of me.
I love you for
The part of me that you bring out;
I love you for
putting your hand into my heaped-up heart
And passing over all the foolish weak things
that you can’t help dimly seeing there,
And drawing out in the light
All the beautiful belongings
that no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.
I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern, but a temple;
Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.
I love you because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good,
And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.
You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.
You have done it by being yourself.
Perhaps that is what
being a friend means, after all.
ADAPTED FROM ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING
A Poem for Hard Times
You Still Have Hope
If you can look at the sunset and smile,
then you still have hope.
If you can find beauty in the colours of a small flower,
then you still have hope.
If you can find pleasure in the movement of a butterfly,
then you still have hope.
If the smile of a child can still warm your heart,
then you still have hope.
If you can see the good in other people,
then you still have hope.
If the rain breaking on a roof top can still lull you to sleep,
then you still have hope.
If the sight of a rainbow still makes you stop and stare in wonder,
then you still have hope.
If the soft fur of a favoured pet still feels pleasant under your fingertips,
then you still have hope.
If you meet new people with a trace of excitement and optimism,
then you still have hope.
If you give people the benefit of a doubt,
then you still have hope.
If you still offer your hand in friendship to others that have touched your life,
then you still have hope.
If receiving an unexpected card
or letter still brings a pleasant surprise,
then you still have hope.
If the suffering of others still fills you with pain and frustration,
then you still have hope.
If you refuse to let a friendship die,
or accept that it must end,
then you still have hope.
If you look forward to a time or place of quiet and reflection,
then you still have hope.
If you still buy the ornaments,
put up the Christmas tree or cook the supper,
then you still have hope.
If you can look to the past and smile,
then you still have hope.
If, when faced with the bad,
when told everything is futile,
you can still look up and end the conversation with the phrase . . . Yeah . . . BUT,
then you still have hope.
Hope is such a marvellous thing.
It bends, it twists, it sometimes hides,
but rarely does it break.
It sustains us when nothing else can.
It gives us reason to continue and courage to move ahead,
when we tell ourselves we’d rather give in.
Hope puts a smile on our face
when the heart cannot manage.
Hope puts our feet on the path
when our eyes cannot see it.
Hope moves us to act
when our souls are confused of the direction.
Hope is a wonderful thing,
something to be cherished and nurtured,
and something that will refresh us in return.
And it can be found in each of us,
and it can bring light into the darkest of places.
NEVER LOSE HOPE!
AUTHOR UNKNOWN