The Pattern of Being Carried
Without Possessing —
This poem is a vibrant exploration of sensory interconnectedness and the way environmental “stimuli” fuel both human creativity and universal unity.
Sensory Awakening: The repetition of “every day, every hour, every minute” establishes a rhythm of constant awareness. It suggests that the world is perpetually “alive” with data for the “fertile mind” to process.
The Body as Narrative: By stating stimuli move “every language of the body / to share a story,” the poet suggests that our physical reactions are themselves a form of communication and storytelling.
Dynamic Imagery: The use of a “kaleidoscope of pollination” is a striking metaphor. It blends visual variety (kaleidoscope) with biological growth and reproduction (pollination), implying that the act of “walking” through life is an active contribution to the world’s color and vitality.
Musical Connection: The shift toward “instruments tuned to dreams” and “waves of sound” elevates the mundane to the ethereal. It portrays life as a symphony where secrets become songs that “ripple” out-ward.
The “One” Connection: The poem concludes with a sense of holism. The “ripple effect” isn’t just a physical reaction; it is the mechanism by which individual life meets another, ultimately merging into a single, unified connection.
Key Themes
Mindfulness: The insistence on the vibrancy of every passing minute.
Interdependence: The “ripple effect” and “life meeting life.”
Creation: The transformation of sensory “stings” into hope and dreams.
Now all these threads — truth, longing, vision, seal, mercy, freedom — circle endlessly around the same center: Christ crucified and risen, dwelling in us. The cross is the doorway. Mercy, the river. Longing, the call. Vision, the light. Love, the atmosphere in which all dissolves and is remade.
There is no “before” or “after,” no hierarchy of experience; every vision and moment is part of the same infinite act of Love. Christ carries our wounds, we carry His cross, and together we disappear into the fullness of God. This now includes many of the core writings being shared, blended into a single con-templative spiral.