April 11, 2024 – A

Posted byjimwdollarPosted in06/25/2020
The Grove 05 01/29/2015 –Ernest Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge, Adams Run, South Carolina
You remember Tevya,
the superman,
Jesus,
hero
of The Fiddler on the Roof,
coming down the gangplank 
of the steamship that delivered
him and Golda, his wife,
to the hovels and pollution
of New York City--
without his horse and his cow,
and his TRADITION!
To make his way in a new world.

He does that--
WE do that--
by walking two paths 
at the same time.

The path of "Oh, no! Not this!"
and the path of "This, too! This, too!"

We do that in the shadow 
of the Wailing Wall,
which is never out of reach,
and in the ever-present glow
of our original nature
and the innate virtuosities
(The things we do best,
and love, enjoy, doing most)
in each situation as it arises,
wherever, whenever, however we are.

Our original nature
and our innate virtuosities
come to life 
in the company of our 
habitual intuition,
our body's felt sense,
our nighttime dreams--
all three of which
guide our boat on its path
through the sea,
any sea,
even the one boasting the clashing rocks
and the heaving waves,
the one called "the wine dark sea,"
even that one,
in the strength of those who shout,
in the spirit of Ulysses and Tevya,
"I will persevere and endure!
And when these waves have shaken
my raft to pieces,
THEN I WILL SWIM!!!

–0–

Published by jimwdollar

I'm retired, and still finding my way--but now, I don't have to pretend that I know what I'm doing. I retired after 40.5 years as a minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, serving churches in Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina. I graduated from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Austin, Texas, and Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. My wife, Judy, and I have three daughters and five granddaughters within about twenty minutes from where we live--and are enjoying our retirement as much as we have ever enjoyed anything.

5 thoughts on “April 11, 2024 – A”

  1. I recognize some of my life in your poetry and metaphors. I was carried forward against waves and the wine dark sea by some inner strength that was constant but that I didn’t recognize consciously or with great joy like Tevya. I could only see the thread of it that sustained me afterward. And it was never anything I alone accomplished. Looking back I always had mentors, “angels on my shoulders” or a friend who drove hours to deliver a crucial computer so I could search for a job. Another friend filled the tank of my car and took me to the market to pay for a shopping cart full of groceries. All of these occurred for me without my efforts, although the inner spirit somehow carried me forward in spite of inner resistance, anxiety and depression. NOW – at age 77 – somehow safely delivered to retirement – only now, and daily, do I celebrate my life. I am truly fortunate to have survived things like anxiety since the age of Trump and cancer. I felt like giving up so many times, but somehow I hung on and persevered. Thank God.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Sandy this is a beautiful testimony to “the way it works”! You have expressed “how it is” with all who “do what needs to be done, anyway, nevertheless, even so”–without knowing why or how. We see The Way only in hindsight, feeling our way along, not knowing what we are doing, barely conscious of “Do this here/now!” And, when we do look back, it all has the appearance of a miracle that is our life. And, what this realization has to do with our future, with where and how we step into each day, is the role of encouragement and reminder, sustaining us amid the on-going, never-ending experience with the clashing rocks and heaving waves, occasionally calling forth a smile, even laughter, lightening our load, enabling us to breathe between rounds, and we are back at it again.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

Leave a comment