Annunciation
‘Hail, space for the uncontained
God’
From the Agathistos Hymn,
From the Agathistos Hymn,
Greece, VIc
We know the scene: the
room, variously furnished,
almost always a lectern, a book; always
the tall lily.
almost always a lectern, a book; always
the tall lily.
Arrived on solemn grandeur of great
wings,
the angelic ambassador, standing or hovering,
whom she acknowledges, a guest.
the angelic ambassador, standing or hovering,
whom she acknowledges, a guest.
But we are told of meek
obedience. No one mentions
courage.
courage.
The
engendering Spirit
did not enter her without consent.
did not enter her without consent.
God
waited.
She was free
to accept or to refuse, choice
integral to humanness.
____________________
to accept or to refuse, choice
integral to humanness.
____________________
Aren’t there
annunciations
of one sort or another
in most lives?
of one sort or another
in most lives?
Some unwillingly
undertake great destinies,
enact them in sullen pride,
uncomprehending.
undertake great destinies,
enact them in sullen pride,
uncomprehending.
More
often
those moments
when roads of light and storm
open from darkness in a man or woman,
are turned away from
those moments
when roads of light and storm
open from darkness in a man or woman,
are turned away from
in dread, in a wave of
weakness, in despair
and with relief.
Ordinary lives continue.
God does not smite them.
But the gates close, the pathway vanishes.
and with relief.
Ordinary lives continue.
God does not smite them.
But the gates close, the pathway vanishes.
____________________
She had been a child who
played, ate, slept
like any other child–but unlike others,
wept only for pity, laughed
in joy not triumph.
Compassion and intelligence
fused in her, indivisible.
like any other child–but unlike others,
wept only for pity, laughed
in joy not triumph.
Compassion and intelligence
fused in her, indivisible.
Called to a destiny more
momentous
than any in all of Time,
she did not quail,
than any in all of Time,
she did not quail,
only asked
a simple, ‘How can this
be?’
and gravely, courteously,
took to heart the angel’s reply,
the astounding ministry she was offered:
and gravely, courteously,
took to heart the angel’s reply,
the astounding ministry she was offered:
to bear in her womb
Infinite weight and lightness; to carry
in hidden, finite inwardness,
nine months of Eternity; to contain
in slender vase of being,
the sum of power–
in narrow flesh,
the sum of light.
Infinite weight and lightness; to carry
in hidden, finite inwardness,
nine months of Eternity; to contain
in slender vase of being,
the sum of power–
in narrow flesh,
the sum of light.
Then bring to birth,
push out into air, a Man-child
needing, like any other,
milk and love–
push out into air, a Man-child
needing, like any other,
milk and love–
but who was God.
This was the moment no
one speaks of,
when she could still
refuse.
A breath unbreathed,
Spirit,
suspended,
waiting.
____________________
She did not cry, ‘I
cannot. I am not worthy,’
Nor, ‘I have not the
strength.’
She did not submit with
gritted teeth,
raging, coerced.
Bravest of all humans,
consent illumined her.
The room filled with its
light,
the lily glowed in it,
and the iridescent wings.
Consent,
courage unparalleled,
opened her utterly.
Thank you so very much for this :-)
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. I'm grateful to Kevin Burke, S.J. for his detailed study of Levertov's poems.
DeleteI am also a Gloucester graduate, living in Japan and have a course with adults reading Denise Levertov's in "The Stream and the Sapphire. Can you give me a link to Fr. Burke's study of her poems. I would be most grateful. Sr. Maureen
DeleteA small world indeed. Why don't you write to Fr. Kevin Burke directly? He is at the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara, California. His email is on the school's website.
DeletePosting this full version today. Thanks John ..
ReplyDeleteAs Mary was full of grace, so is this poem.
DeleteThanks, John. You were my retreat director some years ago in Gloucester, and a grace for me at the time. Woke up this morning in Hayward CA to do some presentations in one of our schools, and slowly read "The Annunciation" posted here. Grateful for your reach out, and wishing you well in you ministry far across the world.
ReplyDeleteMark, I remember you well. Thanks for writing and for your good words. Thanks also for the evangelizing work you are doing in our schools. I loved being in Gloucester, but God is at double-time work here in the Holy Land.
DeleteThank you Mark, this so vividly captures the moments of the annunciation....Mary's pure love of God and joy. Beautifully written. "compassion and intelligence fused in her, indivisible".....wonderful. <3
ReplyDeleteNice comments, Colleen.
DeleteDear John, this is Anne Deneen writing--I don't know what your email address is, but if you are still in Jerusalem, I will be visiting this summer, in late July, and staying with the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, in Jerusalem. Oh, I hope you are still there. How wonderful to meet across time and poetry! peace, and a blessed Lent, Anne
ReplyDeleteAnne, good to hear from you again. My email is on this page: predmoresj@yahoo.com or jpredmore@jesuit.org. I am in Amman, Jordan, but it is fairly easy for me to cross the border. In fact, I'm due for a few visits there. I'll be around. Let me show you my part of the world.
DeleteI stumbled upon your blog in a roundabout way -- I am reading Anne Lamott's book "Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith" and she quotes this poem. When I googled it and found your page -- thank you for reproducing the poem in its entirety. I am now a follower!
ReplyDeleteI am a Catholic living on the North Shore (in MA), and wish you all the best during your sabbatical. May you enjoy a wonderfully creative six months at the Mass College of Art!
Anne Lamott writes very well. I'm glad to welcome you to the community. Thanks for the good wishes. I was in Gloucester for a couple of years and I have many good friends there. Very small world, huh?
DeleteThis is incredibly beautiful and speaks to me. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI'm glad. I find it very inspirational.
DeleteThank you for posting the poem in its fullness, with the attention it gives to deep consent, an opportunity offered perhaps just a few times in one’s life. The poem illuminates the importance of such consent, and the importance of attending to the invitation. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to include its fullness, as that is how it was written. I always preach about the importance of accepting invitations that seem to be leading us to God, just as Mary did.
DeleteJust saw your post. Thank you so much for posting the complete poem from A Door In The Hive. I had the pleasure of meeting Levertov at a poetry conference back in the 1980's and what I remember most were her kind eyes and soft hands .Great poet! "Content determines form".
ReplyDeleteYou are blessed to have met her and to find her to be such a special person.
DeleteBeautiful. I need to see this after seeing that disgusting article about Jesus being a “r*pe” baby.
ReplyDeleteActually that disgusting article led me here. Some of the comments were just unbelievable. May they knew the true Heavenly Father.
DeleteDenizli
ReplyDeleteKonya
Denizli
ısparta
Bayburt
6W2
Muğla
ReplyDeleteSamsun
Eskişehir
Sakarya
Kars
İJCSF
sakarya
ReplyDeleteelazığ
sinop
siirt
van
BBSW
tunceli evden eve nakliyat
ReplyDeletekarabük evden eve nakliyat
konya evden eve nakliyat
urfa evden eve nakliyat
çorum evden eve nakliyat
SHZBTD
4F9B4
ReplyDeleteAğrı Evden Eve Nakliyat
Burdur Evden Eve Nakliyat
Yalova Evden Eve Nakliyat
Sinop Evden Eve Nakliyat
Amasya Evden Eve Nakliyat
8F0FF
ReplyDeleteBitlis Evden Eve Nakliyat
Diyarbakır Evden Eve Nakliyat
order anapolon oxymetholone
Uşak Evden Eve Nakliyat
Erzurum Evden Eve Nakliyat
dianabol methandienone
Silivri Parke Ustası
order testosterone propionat
order clenbuterol
A76E4
ReplyDeletebinance %20
477C9
ReplyDeleteTiktok İzlenme Hilesi
Binance Kimin
Twitter Takipçi Satın Al
Bitcoin Kazanma
Onlyfans Beğeni Hilesi
Mexc Borsası Kimin
Kripto Para Nedir
Dxgm Coin Hangi Borsada
Coin Para Kazanma
26492
ReplyDeleteGörüntülü Sohbet
Gate io Borsası Güvenilir mi
Kripto Para Üretme
Likee App Beğeni Satın Al
Kripto Para Üretme Siteleri
Twitch İzlenme Hilesi
Bitcoin Üretme Siteleri
Youtube Beğeni Hilesi
Bitcoin Nasıl Oynanır