It’s only these last couple of years that I’ve begun to appreciate Poetry and that has been mainly through my time with, The London Buddhist Centre in East London, where there’s a high regard and encouragement for the Arts as an important factor in human wellbeing.
I love the ability of good Poetry to connect with my emotions and often to say so much with so few words and of course poetry and imagery make good companions.
From time to time I’ll post Poems that have touched me for a variety of reasons.
I came upon, A Ritual To Read To Each Other, over twenty years ago. I knew nothing about poetry back then and yet it immediately spoke to me. I have continued to read it regularly up to this present day and it still speaks to me and I find that deeply comforting. I also include it sometimes in the work I do within Mental Health Services it’s very apt
A Ritual To Read To Each Other
(From the Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart)
If you don't know the kind of person I am
and I don't know the kind of person you are
a pattern that others made may prevail in the world
and following the wrong god home we may miss our
star.
For there is many a small betrayal in the mind,
a shrug that lets the fragile sequence break
sending with shouts the horrible errors of childhood
storming out to play through the broken dyke.
And as elephants parade holding each elephant's tail,
but if one wanders the circus won't find the park,
I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty
to know what occurs but not recognize the fact.
And so, I appeal to a voice, to something shadowy,
a remote important region in all who talk:
though we could fool each other, we should
consider—
lest the parade of our mutual life get lost in the dark.
For it is important that awake people be awake,
or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep.
the signals we give — yes or no, or maybe —
should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.
William Stafford