“What I say to you now I say without feeling sorry for myself: I have had many very difficult times. I got through them because … I held on tightly to God, and because I knew that eventually, things would change. Change is a law of the universe. Nothing ever remains the same.”  – Katherine Dunham, IN SWEET COMPANY: CONVERSATIONS WITH EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN ABOUT LIVING A SPIRITUAL LIFE

I came upon this poem, “The Cricket and the Rose,” by Mary Oliver, some time ago and stored it away for when the time is right. It seems to me that that time is now — when we start to grow impatient with snow that lingers far too long and our need for personal and global transformation reaches the point of noncontainment. I hope this poem bring rest to your heart.

The Cricket and the Rose

In fall the cricket
beneath the rose bush watches
as the roses fall to the very ground
that is his kingdom also. So they’re neighbors,
one full of fragrance, the other
the harper of a single dry song.
We call this time of the year the beginning of the end
of another circle, a convenience
and nothing more. For the cricket’s song
is surely a prayer, and a prayer, when it is given,
is given forever. This is a truth
I’m sure of, for I’m older than I used to be,
and therefore I understand things nobody would think of
who’s young and in a hurry. The snow is very beautiful.
Under it are the lingering petals of fragrance,
and the timeless body of prayer.
~ Mary Oliver ~

Your thoughts?