Monday, February 2, 2009


Brigid in Cyberspace. This is year number four, although only number two for me. I thought about it yesterday and decided to share another ee cummings poem:

i am a little church(no great cathedral)

far from the splendor and squalor of hurrying cities

-i do not worry if briefer days grow briefest,

i am not sorry when the sun and rain make april

my life is the life of the reaper and the sower;

my prayers are prayers of earth's own clumsily striving

(finding and losing and laughing and crying)children

whose any sadness or joy is my grief or my gladness

around me surges a miracle of unceasing

birth and glory and death and resurrection:

over my sleeping self float flaming symbols

of hope, and i wake to a perfect patience of mountains

i am a little church(far from the frantic

world with its rapture and anguish)at peace with nature

-i do not worry if longer nights grow longest:

i am not sorry when silence becomes singing

winter by spring, i lift my diminutive spire to

merciful Him Whose only now is forever:

standing erect in the deathless truth of His presence

(welcoming humbly His light and proudly His darkness)

---ee cummings

I often say the first line to myself "i am a little church, no great cathedral" to remind myself that I am just a small part of the world around me and NOT the entire world. Although I am definitely not a religious person, i am a spiritual person and this appeals to me.

The world could use a few more "little churches" and far fewer "great cathedrals".

7 comments:

Dianne said...

Lovely. So true!

Bells said...

Oh! Beautiful. I think I am going to buy myself a book of ee cummings poems. I always liked the bits I read but I think there must be so much more to enjoy.

I am with you. Spiritual. Not religious. It feels right to me and the little churches concept is a lovely one.

Sheepish Annie said...

I live rather near a street named for good ol' e.e. I don't like many poets, but cummings is one I always enjoy. Excellent pick!

Em said...

What a great poem. I must admit, cummings is not one of the poets I had much exposure to in school, but I have really liked what bits of his work I've read. I adore the poem on your bracelet.

Amy Lane said...

You touched on one of my favorites-- e e cummings was a very wise poet. (I always thought.)

roxie said...

Thank you for sharing. It brightened my day!

jessie said...

This is a good one for me to keep in mind during the longest stretch of winter. Thanks.

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