I was thunderstruck by these words: "In a dark time, the eye begins to see." They come from the poem, In a Dark Time by Theodore Roethke. I shared them with a friend encountering personal problems. So what exactly do we see or should we see? I surprised her with my response: "fairies, angels!" We have
forgotten to look with the innocence of children. To see with other eyes is incredibly difficult for us adults. We have become so mechanical, tied to our rational thinking that we have forsaken the world of fantasy and imagination.
But how can such flights help us? The simple answer is "I don't know!"
In the early morning, in the dusk or at midnight without the glow of artificial lights, the touch of Mother Nature might actually ease our troubled minds. The stress of modern day life is well-known. It increases yearly and does not diminish. The Welsh poet W.H. Davies reminds us: "we have no time to stand and to stare!"
Why bother with the changing seasons when we are either cocooned in our comfortable homes or isolated in our efficient offices? There is no doubt our modern life provides great comforts but with all the benefits we have received; we are not any happier. To renew our acquaintance with nature is not easy
if we are away from its beauty. Yet we can find moments - the wind is still present, the sky does not lose its blue color and the clouds, from my vantage point, are still white.
I can dream and celebrate the miracle of life.
So was my friend inspired by my musings? Yes we still need
counselors or else I would be out of a job. What did I tell her?
"Go braid your hair, wear your 1980's hot pants and smell
the roses!" She laughed. That's it!
When we hear the voice of God calling us to pay attention;
we can trust in our vulnerability. What more can anyone ask?
Are there really air, water, fire and earth fairies? I discovered
some people actually believe they do exist. From our Christian
tradition, do we allow the good angels to speak to us? All the
insecurities we face can so easily block our eyes from what is
pure, gentle and kind.
I wish I could hear those stories again from my youth.
From 'fairies' or to use a more politically correct word,
"fairy folk" or "the world of spirits" they teach us great
lessons of life. From my Caribbean cultural background, we
have ours. I can hear my mother Angela and my great-aunt,
Eunice. From a distance, I remember their voices.
"In any dark time, the eye can truly see."
Good morning Don Ronaldo...your words always paint beautiful pictures in my mind's eye. I too often forget the innocence of my childhood. Things sure seemed simpler when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteYou remind me of a time as a young boy, when I would lay in bed unable to sleep and imagine a whole world in my mind. I could go for the majority of the night just dreaming of the most outrageous and unimaginable scenes. But no matter how ridiculous the thoughts, they always brought me to a peaceful place. I could lose myself for hours in "Narnia" or "Never Land". Unfortunately today, most often I can only think of my schedule for the remainder of the week.
Ok, so here is my promise, tonight when I lay my head on my pillow, there will be no adults allowed!!!!