A Poem

Dear Everyone,

For this week I am sending you a little poem I wrote. I have been feeling poetic these days, and have not had much of a muse for writing descriptivestuff. but so you know, I have completed the UNICEF report and sent it, figured out what's going on in this office, and slowed the hectic pacebecause the new boss, Al, has arrived. my present task is to fill the role of office administrator until the more permanent person arrives. then I clue her into what's going on, and leave to teach English in Faizabad. thank you for remembering me. the most high has been here.Now for the poem. I am learning the meaning of joy here. the poem is about that, and other things. I will let the daring interpret further.
Much joy to all of you.

Rjs

my Lord has shown me

my Lord has shown me
the secret places of joy
within his realm
he has hidden himself there
like a child in a game:
most delightful
– and unseemly –
for a deity.

I have heard it said that nothing
will satisfy
because eternity
is in our souls,
but you will see with more innocent eyes:
the king has concealed eternity
in the smallest thing
so that the wise are confounded
and so you may, after all,
delight in a running child
and a paper kite, or
the jingle of cart bells in the street, or
a sudden smile, or
- in this case –
a newly-purchased hat.

you must look as though you are six
but there is a sudden burst of heaven
in all this
and a happy glimpse of the king
in the crowd

so you may love your new hat,
for example,
because the hem of God brushed it as it fell
into your hands
and you may wear it smiling
for if God will hide his glory in a hat, then
nothing can stop heaven
from breaking through

rjs 2003