far from the splendor and squalor of hurrying cities
i do not worry if briefer days grow briefest,
i am not sorry when 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)
e.e. cummings
This is a delightful poem which I have always liked. It is not perhaps "typical ee cummings", in that it looks on the page more like a traditional poem. Cummings was, of course, famous for his ingenuous, unexpected arrangement and typography of words and alphabets on the page, for example, Leaf and Grasshopper. Perhaps a less widely known fact is the Cummings in fact wrote the great majority of his poetry in the traditional form. The wonder of his works, is in how the words seem always to flow in a mercurial way, line into line, conjuring the magic of verse imagery in a humorously playful way. One is always in for an element of surprise reading Cummings poetry! (The last line of the poem I find really amusing - I imagine the little dimunitive spire fancying itself to be a proud steeple under the envelope of the night - you can be what you want in the dark!)
From my understanding of Cummings, he is not a particularly religious person. (He is more well known for his unabashed celebration of Romantic love and sexuality). The "theology" and "piety" of this piece is, however, almost perfect. Now, it is clearly a blessed state to be in - being content and secure in who you are in the Lord. One is almost envious of the little church for being such a happy non-worrier, " in longest of winters and shortest of springs". I do not know however whether one could say such is the state that all Christians should aspire towards - somehow I think the little church was "born that way" - it is a gift I think given to some people and not to others (whether or not you are a great cathedral, most of us are somewhere in between the size of ARPC and the church next door anyway, I suspect).
But remembering often to be happy as a little church is probably one of the best things about being a Christian. You worry less, take yourself less seriously, and still remain wise about life that "surges around - a miracle of unceasing birth, glory, death and resurrection".
From my understanding of Cummings, he is not a particularly religious person. (He is more well known for his unabashed celebration of Romantic love and sexuality). The "theology" and "piety" of this piece is, however, almost perfect. Now, it is clearly a blessed state to be in - being content and secure in who you are in the Lord. One is almost envious of the little church for being such a happy non-worrier, " in longest of winters and shortest of springs". I do not know however whether one could say such is the state that all Christians should aspire towards - somehow I think the little church was "born that way" - it is a gift I think given to some people and not to others (whether or not you are a great cathedral, most of us are somewhere in between the size of ARPC and the church next door anyway, I suspect).
But remembering often to be happy as a little church is probably one of the best things about being a Christian. You worry less, take yourself less seriously, and still remain wise about life that "surges around - a miracle of unceasing birth, glory, death and resurrection".
