In response to April being “National Poetry Month,” I’ve chosen a favorite of mine.  To me this poem is about being a whole person, appreciating the gifts from God, including the ups and downs.  This is a person who had a lot of life experience, and was satisfied with his life and is in love with God and His Creation.

It’s by Saint Isaac of Nineveh, a monk from the region of Qatar on the Persian Gulf’s western shore, from the 8th century, and is translated by Dr. Scott Cairns, himself a wonderful poet and friend of mine.  This poem is in Cairn’s “Loves Immensity: Mystics on the Endless Life,” a book of ancient Christian poetry.  You can purchase a copy by clicking here.  Well worth owning, I believe.

The heart’s pulsing ache – oh to have
that same heart’s burning
        for persons, for birds, all manner
of animal, and even for the demons.

At the remembrance
    and at the sight of all such creatures,
        the merciful man’s eyes
fill with tears which rise with a great, increasing

compassion that wells
    and urges his heart,
        so that it grows ever
more tender and cannot endure any

harm or slightest sorrow
    for anything found
        in creation.  Such a man
is ceaseless in tear-attended prayer,

even now, and even for
    irrational animals,
        and for enemies of truth,
and for all who harm it, that they may be both
    guarded and forgiven.

                                                   (copyright 2007 by Scott Cairns, featured here by permission)

What depth, what sorrow and joy!

Please post YOUR favorite poem.