Note to Readers: “Meditations in
Fast Times” is a devotional writing experiment for the Season of Lent. Each day
during the season, I am writing a poem as a meditation on, taking as my
inspiration and intertextual basis, T.S. Eliot’s “Four Quartets”, as
well as incorporating the daily office, current events, and other readings—some
the same as those Eliot used while composing his seminal work and others.
27.
The
children are swinging in the tree;
they have been eating apples,
dropping seeds and cores everywhere
and laughing, l a u g h i n g!
they have been eating apples,
dropping seeds and cores everywhere
and laughing, l a u g h i n g!
Curious
and playful,
the robin cocks a quizzical head,
as if to say,
what are they going to do next?
the robin cocks a quizzical head,
as if to say,
what are they going to do next?
They
jump down,
grasping at healing leaves as they go,
into the soft green grass
— then they see the bush.
grasping at healing leaves as they go,
into the soft green grass
— then they see the bush.
Let’s play!
And
they enter the ring of flame.
Ring, oh ring the roses!
Then strike some fancy poses!
Ask me, ask me;
I’ll make a claim!
Ring, oh ring the roses!
Then strike some fancy poses!
Ask me, ask me;
I’ll make a claim!
And
they run and run,
around and around,
until at last they collapse
in the shade of the tree,
laughing, l a u g h i n g!
around and around,
until at last they collapse
in the shade of the tree,
laughing, l a u g h i n g!
And
thus it has ever been
in the garden of delight,
as bird and tree would tell you,
if you could hear them.
in the garden of delight,
as bird and tree would tell you,
if you could hear them.
They
would also tell you,
laughing with mirth, l a u g h i n g!
We are all made for this,
and that’s the Absolute’s truth.
laughing with mirth, l a u g h i n g!
We are all made for this,
and that’s the Absolute’s truth.
