Welcome to Poetry & Prayer: Day Four

You might want to read the Introductory Post to this Prayer Bench series. Poetry and Prayer will be a continuing category at the Prayer Bench but for eight days give particular presence to the meeting of the General Council of The United Church of Canada in Corner Brook, NL.


 Today some proposals and reports are divided among Commissions. In the evening there is invitation for theological reflection and spiritual practice. Work and worship held in rhythm.

Our poem today is “The Supple Deer” by Jane Hirshfield.

I love this poem and how the poet uses a seemingly ordinary happening and a simple moment to bring us to surprising insight.

You really need to read the whole poem first.

Read the whole poem here.

Here are the lines for today.

I have never felt such accurate envy.

Not of the deer—

To be that porous, to have such largeness pass through me.

And hold in prayer the Commissioners at this mid-point with much “largeness” remaining and for the prayers that are praying in them.

And let us hold in prayer all who are holding them in prayer and hope.