It's Wednesday, December 19, 2012 -- the third day of funerals in Newtown, CT for the children and adults who were gunned down in the massacre last Friday. I'm having a hard time with my holiday preparations. My mind and heart keep wandering over into the grieving side of me.
So, today, I'm posting a photo that I took on Monday of a little javelina who stopped to sniff the lemons on my neighbor's citrus tree. And I'm thinking of Walt Whitman's words, "I think I could turn and live with the animals."
I think I could turn and live with the animals, they are so placid and self contained;
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition;
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins;
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God;
Not one is dissatisfied-not one is demented with the mania of owning things;
Not one kneels to another, nor his kind that lived thousands of years ago;
Not one is responsible or industrious over the whole earth.
Lucky little javelina. He doesn't have to know this lingering sorrow and struggle with what to say. She doesn't have to keep wondering why. Why the lump in my throat? Why the ache in my heart? Why could this happen?
I think I could go and live with the animals too.
Copyright 2012
Wanda Hayes Eichler
No comments:
Post a Comment