Thursday, March 19, 2020

A Poem to nourish us at this time



A Poem to nourish us at this time

By Rev. Dr. Lynn Ungar, poet and minister for lifespan learning 
and editor of Quest for the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Larger Fellowship.

Pandemic
What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?

Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now,
on trying to make the world
different than it is.

Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.

And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.

(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)

Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.

Promise this world your love--
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.

3 comments:

Trish MacGregor said...

Beautiful! And what perfect advice for these times.

forauza said...

You are just what I am looking for at This moment in Time. YOU are needed and Mother always Provides for me, Here You Are. This is beautiful , Thank You <3

Lauren Raine said...

My great thanks to both of you!