It's the third Thursday of the month so I'd like to welcome you to A Gathering of Poetry.
I often worry about finding a good poem for each month's Gathering of Poetry, but I really shouldn't despair. I always come across something wonderful, and this month is no exception. I first read this poem in The Washington Post Book Club newsletter, just three days after the horrifying election. It struck me as perfect (as so many poems are) so I'd like to share it with you. Ron Charles (book critic at The Post) introduced it this way: "At a moment when hate and criminality seem to have triumphed, many people feel the urge to withdraw in despair. This poem reminds us that deliberate burrowing can be an expansive, enriching pursuit." I wholeheartedly agree.
by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
dark and dense with need,
I want to be the earthworm
that gives itself over to tunneling,
its every movement an act
of bringing spaciousness.
And when minutes feel crushed by urgency,
I want to meet the world wormlike,
which is to say grounded,
consistent, even slow.
No matter how desperate the situation,
the worm does not tunnel faster
nor burrow more.
It knows it can take decades
to build fine soil.
To whatever is compacted,
the worm offers its good worm work,
quietly bringing porosity
to what is trodden, compressed.
So often, in my rush to repair,
I end up exhausted.
Let my gift to the world be
my constancy, a devotion to openness,
my willingness to be with what is.
Let my gift to myself be patience
as I tend what is dense and dark.
====
Trommer, Rosemerry Wahtola. "Lumbricus terrestris". The Unfolding. Wildhouse Poetry, 2024
You can read more about the poet here.
I will no longer be thinking of worms as I often do. What a wonderful poem Bonny! Perfect for these days. I particularly like: "...the worm offers its good worm work..."
ReplyDeleteOh Bonny, this is so perfect and such a balm for my feelings of helplessness. Let's all continue doing good work and doing good with constancy. If we keep doing it every day, eventually things will get better.
ReplyDeleteI will be thinking of worms differently like Vera! Lovely we are doing our part.
ReplyDeleteThis is a brilliant poem, Bonny. Thank you. For as Sarah stated so eloquently in her comment above, it is "such a balm for my feelings of helplessness." I am ready to commit to "quitely bringing porosity" to the compressed soil of this world . . . just like a resilient worm! XO
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kym, this is a brilliant poem! (and I think it is the perfect companion to the poem I shared today... which makes my poem even more serendipitous!) I will remind myself of "worm work" when I am feeling overwhelmed. Thank you so much for sharing this poem today!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bonny. A lovely poem, especially for the present moment. The pendulum swings, eventually it will swing back our way. Change is the only constant.
ReplyDeleteSimply perfect....not only for the election, but as the impact continues to unfold.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling very tense and dark these days. I'm sure that's why my sewing room is a riot of color.
ReplyDeleteA riot of color (and maybe some poetry now and then) is a good counterpoint to all the darkness and tension.
DeleteI had no idea the earthworm was so wise ... and then I remember how amazing ALL of creation is, so of course they must be.
ReplyDeleteThe poem is perfect Bonny. It's a good reminder of the value and possibility in slow and steady work.
ReplyDelete