“I said to the almond tree, “Friend, speak to me of God,” and the almond tree blossomed.”

– Nikos Kazantzakis

*****

Speak to Me

I said to the snow,

“Friend, speak to me of God,”

And the snow taught me silence.

Winter beat his muffled drum

Until my ears, stuffed full of cotton,

Heard in it my own heart beating.

Tiny birds left soundless footprints,

Traces of a song remembered,

Carried in my heart.

I turned my eyes inward,

In holy reflection.

And I saw God.

*

I said to the soil,

“Friend, speak to me of God,”

And the soil parted

As Spring burst green

And fresh and new,

And filled with the rhythm

Of dancing and singing.

My heart, reaching toward it,

Mimicked the birdsong;

And sent my feet dancing

With innocent joy.

And I saw God.

*

I said to the garden,

“Friend, speak to me of God,”

And flowers burst open

To welcome the bees,

And their dance yielded fruits

Of infinite kinds.

And nesting birds gathered

To feed their small hatchlings.

My heart, overflowing,

Let gratitude nourish

The lush, summer days.

And I saw God.

*

I said to the trees,

“Friends, speak to me of God,”

And they blazed with the fire

That once forged Creation.

They raised their arms skyward

And welcomed the wind

Until they stood naked

As winter descended.

I let myself join

In their dance of release;

And, lifting my shivering arms,

I saw God.

*

I called to the sky,

“Friend, speak to me of God,”

And up I went soaring,

Until I could see

All the seasons and cycles

Surrounding the Earth.

And I shone like a star

As I sat by the moon.

And the silence of Winter,

The newness of Spring,

The bounty of Summer,

The bittersweet Autumn,

All gazed to the heavens

And welcomed the Light,

And my heart held them close.

And I built a great bridge

That allowed them to cross

From one to the other.

Their rhythms combined

As they wove through the seasons.

Embracing them all,

Through hello and goodbye,

My spirit rejoiced.

And I saw God.
*

©Pamela Stead Jones 2010