While in my current ‘in-between’ phase of life, I’ve also had an opportunity to be on an annual retreat. The ‘hand-outs’ each day have included quotes. To my delight, they have also included poets, such as E.E. Cummings and Francis Thompson. Today we were treated to a poet previously unknown to me: Vassar Miller. Miller was from Texas and died in 1998. But her poems remain, such as the one given us on retreat this day. The context of this poem being offered today was a talk on naming God and naming us. It explored how giving a name helps describe a person, yet, it can also point to limits, to the fact that we are still a mystery becoming who we really are. Our name describes us in some way, but there is so much more to us than can be summed up in our name.
It is wonderful to discover writers that we did not know existed. I hope that some of you who are reading this will experience some of that joy of discovery in your lives.
Another poet,
Another voice,
Another one
Expressing choice,
Of the deft selection,
In images to share,
Of words that challenge,
Of words that care.
Simon C.J. Falk 14 November 2017
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