Safe. And found.

She was shelling peas,
apron-covered knees
spread wide to catch
each pea/each pod

I, shaky, needy
wandered near

Her ancient swollen hands
pushed back the hair
that hid my face

She set down the pan,
and, patting her knee,
said:

oh, child
come on up here
and let me have a look at you

Her voice was safe and so was I
sitting in the lap of God.


The Lap of God 
by Mary Popson

. . .

A couple weeks ago I was invited to speak to a group of people

about some things I learned during
The Year of the Sledgehammer.

My dear, sweet friend Sherry sent me this poem today
with the following message:

"You recently reminded me of this poem when you spoke. . . so here it is."

. . .

One of the greatest gifts I received in 2005

was something my head could not grasp,

but my heart would come to understand,

that beyond my ken
is the most wondrous existence
of benevolence,
which I choose to call

The Great Unknowable

and, sometimes,
God. 

Thank you, Sherry, for your inextinguishable light.
You have so often illuminated my path.

image by Sukanto Debnath