Gather All The Kindling

a poem for autumn

My Dear Wildroot Parables Readers,

My goodness, it’s been a few weeks! This October has been a very, very busy month for me, mostly for very good reasons, some less so. It’s also a deeply emotional season, a perfect counterpoint to the rain and weather drawing in. I spend a lot of time looking inward, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

I know I haven’t been as present here on The Wildroot Parables as I would like to be, but it blesses me to share encouragement with you when I’m able. So in that spirit, I want to share this poem with you that I’ve been finding deeply encouraging lately. It’s from John O’Donohue’s collection To Bless the Space Between Us, a book of prayers from one of my favorite Celtic writers.

I hope it encourages you here at the start of this week, wherever this season finds you.

S.E. Reid

---

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

For Courage

By John O’Donohue

When the light around you lessens 
And your thoughts darken until 
Your body feels fear turn
Cold as a stone inside,

When you find yourself bereft
Of any belief in yourself 
And all you unknowingly
Leaned on has fallen,

When one voice commands
Your whole heart,
And it is raven dark,

Steady yourself and see 
That it is your own thinking 
That darkens your world,

Search and you will find 
A diamond-thought of light,

Know that you are not alone 
And that this darkness has purpose; 
Gradually it will school your eyes 
To find the one gift your life requires 
Hidden within this night-corner.

Invoke the learning 
Of every suffering
You have suffered.

Close your eyes.
Gather all the kindling
About your heart 
To create one spark. 
That is all you need
To nourish the flame
That will cleanse the dark
Of its weight of festered fear.

A new confidence will come alive 
To urge you toward higher ground 
Where your imagination
Will learn to engage difficulty
As its most rewarding threshold!

---

Moved by this piece (or simply feel like supporting my coffee habit) and want to contribute a one-time donation? Click the Tip Jar button below!

For more writings like this, subscribe for free!