a january prayer

January 1st 2015 Comments: 21 Topics: , ,

28_Attic_Chair_8739Ed

The pull away of all that bounty

leaves a hole

it seems

 

I am scared,

uncelebrated,

my flesh unpadded,

assurance gone,

party over,

everyone done,

just me alone.

 

I am left to fill a vessel

still and spooky.

Sleep has taken over

and I am left to wander

unseen, it seems

in town, when stores are closed.

 

Dreams separated by glass or ice

paint promise some other day.

And I reach backward

for my faith won by memory

that these are the days

that bloom in time

but for now are mine.

 

Clear airs of ownership possess this child

as it wanders corridors, now his.

This dormancy,

this wealth of vacancy

this fallow time

is mine, don’t you see?

 

I am free to  move about the house of us

and plan our brilliance,

court our hope,

believe in these moments,

know your kind creator,

stumbling original

all the way.

 

It tickles Him to see me this way.

– Bobby McAlpine, Catechisms 

21 comments

  1. Miabella says:

    That’s beautiful.

    A fan of your work.

    Miabella

  2. Julie Keeter says:

    What a lovely gift this first day of the year! Bobby’s poetry sings to my heart.
    I am stepping into 2015 full of gratitude that I am bringing along McAlpine Tankersley Architecture and Susan Ferrier on my journey! God bless. Julie Keeter

  3. Kathryne Foster says:

    You took the words right out of my soul. (Just ask Chris T.)
    You are anything but uncelebrated and if you ever want a new friend, there is always…me!
    -Keep on rock’n us Bobby.
    Sincerely,
    Kathryne Foster
    Keswick, VA

  4. Wow, thank you for giving us this New Years present to savor.
    Vickie Webster

  5. Willow Decor says:

    Beautiful sentiments. Wishing you a wonderful 2015!! xo

  6. Courtney Czarnecki says:

    “I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.” Your quiet poem reminded me of Thoreau’s quote. You seem to be enjoying this brief period of dormancy and as with every time of fallow, a lot is going on beneath the surface. We all await the fruits!

  7. Cindy Griffith says:

    My gosh, I love this. Thank you.

  8. Monisha Patel says:

    Lovely. A thoughtful way to help us all calibrate for the new year. Thank you for your words and your works that always leave others inspired. Best wishes for 2015.
    Monisha Patel, Charlotte NC

  9. Dee Coleman says:

    This prayer is beautiful! Gave me chills when I read it!!

  10. Janine Dunn says:

    Wow!! This is so beautiful. I have been an ardent admirer of yours for many years. I’ve always heard such lovely things about you, i have enjoyed your books and your writing and have wished for you to build a house for my husband and since I first saw your work. Truly you are an artist and most importantly, a sweet, sweet soul. I hope to meet you someday. Lord knows I’ve been stalking your work for years! Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful gifts so beautifully.
    Janine Dunn

  11. Janine Dunn says:

    Much needed PS . Note to self….ALWAYS read what you write before hitting send!! Please excuse the chopped sentences and mistakes in my comment. Now I am embarrassed! It’s the thought that counts! 🙂
    JD

  12. Laura Short says:

    Thank you.

  13. James Dalton says:

    This lovely poem brings to mind the work of Gerard Manley Hopkins. The cadence of the last stanza reminds me particularly of Hopkins’ poem Pied Beauty.

  14. Betty Ackerman says:

    Fannie Louise just dropped a tear.

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