What an Amaryllis is Teaching Me
Reflections on Transformation and the Greening of my own Soul
I’ve been working all morning writing a Substack piece about integrity; the lack of it on the national and ecclesiastical stage and what I think we need right now. It’s a heavy piece. I’ll need to keep mining it out for a while longer. It’s no where ready for anyone to read right now. I’ve been thinking about integrity for such a long, long time. Haven’t we all? But in doing some reading; some listening in my travels to a few podcasts, I feel ready to put this piece together for you. So stay tuned. The piece is not ready.
But, my poem is.
A friend gave us a magnificent Amaryllis for Christmas. She knew, in giving it to us, that this dried up looking and very brown bulb, was going to transform and emerge right before our very eyes. We placed the bulb, front and center on our dining room table where the light would shed its working rays on this bulb. And soon, by waiting and waiting, we watched the transformation. It’s been a daily joy for us to talk about it. “Did you see what happened overnight?”— “Did you see the bulb bulging with pregnant beauty inside?” Well, we don’t really talk THAT way, but in reflection, I can now, in my writing. Smile. It’s Friday!
I have written to you before about my own greening soul inside of me—my own journey of feeling life teeming up within me after moving to our mountain town. (Read it here). But, this gorgeous double flowering Amaryllis is now a sacred icon that we stare at for inspiration.
These are not rare flowers. I’ve had them before. They did their thing and it was nice. But, as you know, I'm in a different space and place now.
And as they say, “When the student is ready, the teacher will come!”
My teacher for the past six weeks is this Amaryllis. She taught me to write this poem about her life and my life. I’m posting a picture of our actual Amaryllis for you to see in the poem section. It’s placed on the dining room table and as she appears today, leaning and still in all her glory—doubled blooming and tall.
My poem, “The Holy Amaryllis” shows my inner world transformation with the outer beauty of this flower. It doesn’t feel very masculine to write in such a way. I know that. But, it is the Teacher that I have sat with. I’ve heard as well, of plants having sexes or genders. . Not knowing of this kind of science though, it doesn’t really matter does it?
What matters to me is this continuing “journey of wonder” that I am on these days. There is just so much in this poem that begs for a deeper conversation. And, perhaps you’ll have one with a friend in the reading of this poem. I would hope so! For anything that is truly good; truly delicious, we want to share. For in the sharing, there is love.
When I consider returning to my piece on integrity and the erosion of it in the world today, it is just a good, kind and loving thing to do, to sit with this image and ponder the Beautiful before I write about our ugly current state of our divided lives and divided States. Yes, I’m going there. I have to. I cannot “not” go there. The Amaryllis told me to go there.
She’s a good Teacher.
Have a great weekend!
Leave a comment, would you, as you sit with the poem. Write the one line that grabbed you—that made you stop and think and post it. Your post will both encourage and help us all. I love the comments. Thank you for doing that! They are welcomed here.
A few reminders:
Here’s the link to get your “40 Days, 40 Miles and 40 Questions for the Lenten Journey”. It’s only $1 for a single use version. It will fuel your inner fire and your inner Amaryllis.
Here’s a link to get your own copy of Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley. It’s such an important volume to have and use. It’s such a prayer book to use—especially in these days we’re navigating. I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically commend this to you. Trust me, you do not want to get a Kindle or Audio version. You will want the printed version to hold; to underline, circle and star things you will want to return to time and time; day and day again.
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