Ice ran down the edges of hope
in the early spring of morning.
It cracked in the breeze,
and the sonorities of a distant interstate
(perpetual vibrance, a violence
and motion
of distance
close
in the rippling air)
rewilded the cavernous cavities of my sinuses,
vibrating bone of both tree and human -
(the skeletal body of our fragile oneness
perpetually facing the star-scattered,
the known unknowingness of sexual bodies,
the spaces of between-ness,
the gravities of spherical forms).
The curvatures of water
conglomerated
in slow,
still,
slithering constellations
(their surface like glass,
mirroring the shape-shifting clouds,
impermanent in identity,
passing now toward Illinois).
The weight of the sky whispered
and water sunk deeply to the depths of the dark earth.
It was early Spring.
And the air was an ocean
the sounds were waves
And I lost track of the sentences we create -
the words that we taste to make a meaning of “not alone"
and the causalities we cause to conjure islands of solidity.
But Sky whispers.
The salt in the air tastes like hope.
January was a month of multiple waves of sickness through our seven-person family. So I have either been laying in bed sick or wiping butts or packing lunches or doing school pick ups or meeting with folks for spiritual direction or sitting on the couch exhausted. Needless to say I have not been writing much for Shouting Beast. But I wanted you all to know that I appreciate this space we can share together and will be sending out posts as I can.
Shannon and I were supposed to facilitate a retreat on Sacred Partnership at Shalom Spirituality Center in Dubuque, IA just last weekend, but due to some unforeseen events - including our sicknesses - we are rescheduling it. It will now be June 30 - July 2, 2023! You can check out Shalom’s webpage here for general information about the retreat center. I will be sending out more information on how to register as the retreat gets closer. If you couldn’t make it last weekend, maybe this summer opens up an opportunity for you and your partner! As a reminder, this is open to all committed partnerships (institutionally married or not) as well as partnerships of any gender and sexual orientation.
Shannon has a new book coming out! She has said that these prayers were written with not only our daughter in mind but for all of you readers who are “re-mothering” yourselves. “It is for those who want to see a healthier, safer, more equitable world for our girls” and for all who “clear the brush, machete in one arm and daughter in the other, until there is a path for her where once there was none.” This is a book that addresses the Divine in deeply feminine language and that prays not only for our daughters but for the daughter within. Pre-order your copy directly from the publisher for a reduced price here.
I’d love to leave you with an excerpt from one of my favorite poems of Mary Oliver, “At the River Clarion.” While sitting on a “water splashed stone” in the midst of a river, she writes:
Yes, it could be that I am a tiny piece of God, and each of you too, or at least
of his intention and his hope.
Which is a delight beyond measure.
I don’t know how you get to suspect such an idea.
I only know that the river kept singing.
It wasn’t a persuasion, it was all the river’s own constant joy
which was better by far than a lecture, which was comfortable, exciting, unforgettable.
May you find this unforgettable joy in the voice of melting ice and raging rivers as early Spring signals its taste of hope.
Beautiful. Peaceful. Communion.