The “Heron Priested Shore”

In the clamor and pace of today’s world – the rush to keep appointments, the pressure to close a deal, the inundation of electronic information from so many sources – sometimes we need something more solid and ancient. There is a longing for tried and true ritual that can touch us at a deep and wordless level. What deeper ritual is found than geese in flight on a crisp and quiet afternoon, signaling the turning of the autumnal equinox? What better ancient calling than that of an old forest that holds rocks and streams and remains steadfast through every season?

Autumn is a wonderful time of year, invigorating with its cool mornings and colorful foliage; inviting in its call to draw inward for a time. This week I’ve been reading Dylan Thomas’ “Poem in October.”  He evokes such marvelous imagery, such as “heron priested shore,” and “a child's Forgotten mornings when he walked with his mother Through the parables Of sun light.” The poet recalled:

“These were the woods the river and the sea

                Where a boy

             In the listening

     Summertime of the dead whispered the truth of his joy

     To the trees and the stones and the fish in the tide.”

As I read that poem, I was transported to many sacred moments I’ve experienced in nature. I was reminded that it is those moments that are truly eternal.  It is the beauty of the earth that grounds us in our human existence.

So today I invite you to spend some time with Dylan Thomas' poem, or better yet, spend some time outside  – somewhere where you can attend to nature, paying attention to its sights, sounds and rhythms. Take delight in what the earth brings forth in sun, water, wind, sky, land and tree.