October 14, 2021

Here’s a little gem from American poet William Stafford called Any Morning.

Just lying on the couch and being happy. / Only humming a little, the quiet sound in the head. / Trouble is busy elsewhere at the moment, it has / so much to do in the world.

People who might judge are mostly asleep; they can't / monitor you all the time, and sometimes they forget. / When dawn flows over the hedge you can / get up and act busy. / Little corners like this, pieces of Heaven / left lying around, can be picked up and saved. / People won't even see that you have them, / they are so light and easy to hide. / Later in the day you can act like the others. / You can shake your head. You can frown.

On a related note, the psalmist says this. “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1-2)

O Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen.” (In the Evening – BCP p. 833)