Be Still

Stand still.  The
trees ahead and bushes beside you 
Are not lost, 
Wherever you are is called Here
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger
                                         David
Wagoner
 
There are the places you wish to go, there are the places
you desperately wish you never left, there are the places you imagine you
should be, and there is the place called here
                                         Padraig
O’ Tauma
________________________________________________
 
in this virus time
when we are Covid tired
Covid-dry
 
Sheltering here
Wherever here is
In a cabin in the woods
In an apartment in the concrete
 
Alone or with loved ones, alienated ones 
Happy one’s, sad ones
 
We think
we think of place
of this place
of places we have been
of places we wish to go
 
________
 
my head and heart are full of places
of snapshots in time
of moments of brilliant joy
of moments of deep violet, red, black shame
 
and I am all over the place 
but not in this place
this sheltering place
 
I can escape the virus, perhaps
but I struggle to escape
myself
or my fears
hand to the plow I keep looking back
and the jagged ragged furrow of my life
 
heart in my throat I look forward
into the bleakness of a new world
of shortened time 
 
all of this roils
as I find myself 
in this place
 
but I am here
and this is the place
and this place does shelter and hold me
and if I can just be here
 
for a moment
for this moment
breathe in, breathe out
 
if I can just be here
then in this place Jesus can find me
locked in my room for fear
(as Jesus found this disciples, locked away for fear)
 
Jesus can find me
And I know just what he will say
 
“Hello
 Hello beloved
child
 Hello least of
these
 Hello impetuous,
impulsive, tortured one
 Hello
 
 Peace be with you”