THE TURNING
I.
My sweet darlings,
however did you stay afloat for so long
and never suspect you were
built to breathe underwater?
Why did you never toss thoughts
around in three dimensions,
never loose them like dragonflies
into the deep sky?
How could you fear falling?
Didn’t you see the spiders
stringing safety nets
across the earth every day, just in case?
II.
Instead, you tore at this world, and I watched.
I felt the air’s grim thickening, saw the waters rise.
You were huddled at the precipice—at the very brink,
my loves—and still bellowing for more.
What crucial inspiration turned you at the last?
I’ll never know what broke over you,
and with what calamity, clamor
or grace—
but when you knelt, as one, it was a mighty sight.
You placed your hunger on the ground
and left it to lie among the gadgetry of old logics,
beside the corpses of cruelty and greed.
You were exquisite to me then, long-legged and bright-eyed,
built of gravel and stardust; oh,
my sweet, funny loves. My unfurling galaxy, my
pebble-scatter of promises.
III.
And so we came to the age of the great unbuilding,
where everyone’s name is stillness.
Here, day gathers you into the deep magic of play.
Here, night powders you with the ancient magic of rest.
It’s a time of dragonflies.
So be soft in your hearts, dear hearts,
for we are all cast shining and short-lived into the sky—
And allow your face to take the shape of wonder
when your children ask again to hear the tale
of the time you almost broke the world.
You found all the words, light writer Ro. This is MAGICAL. Thank you for the pebble scatter, the shape of wonder, the dragonflies. xo
Thank you, my inspiration! I aspire to your distillation.
I can taste the hope, as surely as if I were eating it. Thank you for this gift. Hope is often in short supply.
“Built of gravel and stardust” …..you, dearest Ro, capture the real and the dream, the hope and the hard, and with each word is love. So life changing. Thank you!!
So beautiful. So magical. My heart grew fuller and my busy mind became peaceful.
Thank you Ro.
Oh my my my, Ro. This poem flows into me like water into a parched landscape. My ancient heart murmurs, “Oh… You know. You know. I know this too. So many have forgotten…” Thank you for finding words for this knowing. I needed to read this today.
Just holy wow! You created a cosmic collision of excruciating and exquisite… and it landed on me in a prefect time of need! Wonders of the universe ~ How grateful I am for your voice.
Perfect for this challenging time.
Lovely and much appreciated
Absolutely beautiful. Exquisite
Love this!
My heart…I watched Elizabeth Gilbert read it today and your words took my breath away. Thank you for such beautiful, rich, hopeful words. I’ve already shared it with a friend.
Such a beauty full and insightful poem.
Thank you for sharing!
Sending love,
Laura
I love this poem, it moved my heart.
Hey there Rowan,
I listened to Liz Gilbert reading your poem. It touched me deeply. So I had to go and search for it… to give it to a friend who lost her father recently to the modern plague.
With love, I’m sure
B.
This is chillingly brilliant and heartfelt. How apropos probably more now (April 2020) than when you wrote it. I am in awe of the words, so eloquent and soft, so bone-chillingly close to reality right now. May we all be blessed during these times and your poem will be heard round the world. Thank you from every cell in my body for your words, they are comforting.
This is stunning…absolutely prophetic!
Elizabeth Gilbert read it so beautifully.
I’m sharing this with my nonprofit employees who serve people with intellectual disabilities and friends and family far and wide. Just the salve we need. Thank you.
So grateful for this gift of yours. I heard Elizabeth Gilbert read this and was stunned by it’s aching beauty and painful relevance. I listened to it several more times and have since shared it with my son and a few friends. Thanks again for this beautiful gift of hope. xoxo
I was looking for a prayer for a loved one in mourning. This was it. Thank you!
During this time of “social distancing” and upheaval due to Corona Virus, The Turning is Mother Nature’s voice speaking to us.
Wow! Tugs at my heart string.
Change will be good.
Thank you for such a beautiful and poignant poem.
I would like to know if it would be ok to added it to my website..( spiritual counseling for health care workers) that I am getting ready to launch now. Could you let me know please?
Thank you
Susan Arnold-Aldea MD
Hi Susan, please feel free to share the poem! That’s what it’s for.
All best,
Rowan
Dear Rowan,
This poem is beautiful. When I heard the wonderful Liz Gilbert read it out, I hope it is ok, but I copied it out 5 times and put it in bottles to be left on my neighbours’ doorsteps. They have all been blown away by it and picked their own favourite lines to ponder on in this weird time.
Thank you for writing and sharing.
Oh, Nicky. This is SO beautiful. Thank you so much for doing that, and for letting me know. This is a bright, glowing moment in my day. With huge love, Ro xo
Exquisite and full of tenderness… Your words slice through the dross to touch my deepest heart.
Thank you for this.