Thursday, August 30, 2007

The Ordering of Love

I read this poem the other day and find myself returning to it over and over. I love how the author, Madeleine L'Engle, put the words together so that the poem kind of flows in and out of itself. I'd like to share it with those of you who check in here once in a while. If you have not read anything my Madeleine, I recommend her books and poetry highly. This poem is from her book of poetry, "The Ordering of Love".

All That Matters

Nothing.
Out of nothing
out of the void
(what?
where?)
God created.

Out of
nothing
which is
what?
But it is
not a what
or a where
or an opposite
of something
or anything.
Nothing is
nothing
we can know.
Does it matter
that matter's mind
must not mind
not knowing
nothing
doubly negatively
or in any way
positively
not.

O Mind
that alone knows
nothing
O Word
that speaks
to matter
that
speaks matter
from the unspoken:
that you mind
is all that matters.

Madeleine L'Engle

2 comments:

Jemila Kwon said...

Nancy, I love this piece. I am so existentially minded...it's good to know that I am not alone and that these ontological struggles can birth poetry of worship.

Amy said...

It is beautiful. Thank you for posting, Nancy.