Write and Sketch to See
As many of you are discovering, leaving the confines of house and walking outside to breathe earth air, move on earth ground, and sense earth beauty is a vital part of getting through these weeks and months of being sequestered at home. Certainly there are many reasons that Nature restores the soul and body. But perhaps at the heart of it all is the fact that Nature reveals Divine presence with clarity, dignity, and creativity. It is sometimes a bit more difficult to glimpse God in our human structures that we call houses, but it is so very easy to see the artistry, character, and abundance of God's presence in and through Creation. Fresh air, light green new leaves, and flowing water wake the soul. I hope that you are able to find your time in Nature often these days even if it is just sitting outside to observe sky, fern, flower, or crow.
Perhaps a practice that you may enjoy as you spend your time letting Nature assist you through these days of pandemic is to be deliberate in "seeing". Just spending time in forest, by the shore, beneath a tree, or sitting on grass and moss can be restorative and soul-full in itself. But take a few extra moments to "see" deeply into Nature. The deeper you gaze the more you are held. The deeper you inhabit Nature the more she will inhabit you. And the more she and you realize your one-ness as great expressions of the Creator, the more at home you become.
Two ways of seeing more deeply are writing and sketching. A notebook and pencil provide opportunity for both as you spend your time outdoors. Written word descriptions in prose or poem of sights, sounds, textures, and temperatures will awaken your senses and your heart to the gifts of revelation all around. Sketching a leaf, landscape, creature, or crack in rock or tree will provide today's sermon on grace, wonder, beauty, and redemption in ways that your rational mind could not have conjured. The words need not be eloquent and the sketches have no need of being masterful. They just need to exist as creative flow from God, through you, and back to God again.
Below, is my latest example of finding a few words about an encounter with river falling over rocks. It is a scene that captivates and stills you, and those earth elements call for soul response. You'll see that this quick unedited poem is neither masterful nor polished. It is just a word offering that deepened my "seeing" and thus softens my heart and mind and allows for the Spirit to awaken me to God's presence once again.
May you know of God's presence painted small and large on the canvas of Creation. And may that presence hold and sustain you this day.
-Kirk Webb
(Director of The Celtic Center)
River Rock Choir
Falling river, carving ancient stone
Pool to pool
Eddies then falls
Step by step
Splash, drip, and bend
Crash, slip, and wind
I turn my head this way and that
Offering each ear in turn
Receiving the waves of melody
Offered by water, rock, and air
Left ear, pointed toward cliff wall
Receives the kettle drumming
Of wave upon wave
Falling water meeting pool below
Right ear, turned downward toward earth
Receives the low piped hum
Vibration through rock, earth, and tree
Ancient waves of sound from water earth collision
Both ears now turned away from river
Notice the muted orchestral blend
Rhythm, hum, roar, note, and whisper
Song of songs of songs of earth
Head turned this way and that
No turn is truest. All turns are true.
Earth, cliff, river, air, and ear
All parts of the river rock choir
Ancient resonance tuned
With each turn of the head
To speak anew of ancient song
For audience
Of Hemlock, Woodpecker, and Trillium.