Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Wildernesses [for Lent/Advent]

A message envelopes me, 
Permeating my whole person: 
The disembodied preaching, 
The tones of a tameless, timeless wind, 
Surge deep into my searching soul, 
As if, "A voice of one crying: 
'In the wilderness clear out the way of Yahweh; 
Make straight in the desert-plain 
A highway for our God.'" (Isaiah 40:3)* 

Ridge follows ridge into the horizon, 
Their shadows and mountain hues 
Growing hazy, at last to melt at the world's watery edge.
Ages old, yet seeming no older than I: 
Wind-whipped, scarred and, yet, still enduring. 

Forlorn, wild, untouchable seems this place... 
The lonely sadness of a lingering coyote howl 
Harmonizes the wind's haunting melody, 
Eerie to all but those who know and love such music, 
Whose very life and sustenance are this desert: 

Ground squirrels and kangaroo rats, 
Cacti and sagebrush, 
Rattlers, gnarly reptiles and other desert-dwellers 
Make peace with this wilderness, 
Surviving and thriving. 

In such a place settled Abraham, 
Blessed by Yahweh, prospering as a tent-dweller. 
Through such barrenness 
Moses led the multitudes of Israel. 
Elijah first retreated to the desert 
To find relief from wickedness. 

Christ came to the wastelands 
To fast His forty days; 
Here to be tempted, here to triumph; 
Here to prepare His soul 
For the rugged ministry ahead. 

And, so, a still, small voice (I Kings 19:12-13) 
Whispers softly inside me: 
" 'In the wilderness clear out the way of Yahweh; 
Make straight in the desert-plain 
A highway for our God.'"* 

---C. Marie Byars, November 1986 Ft. Irwin, CA


*original re-translations from the Hebrew Bible; somewhat more literal and, hopefully, more in line with poetic work

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful!!

C. Marie Byars said...

Thanks, "anonymous." Hope your season is blessed. Hope you find other things on this page that you enjoy, also.