Jeanette Gallagher’s most recent poem to appear here was Timeless (July 2012).
My Extraordinary Gift
By Jeanette Gallagher
On an ordinary summer morning
On my pier in Linkhorn Bay, I prepare
to go crabbing–a ritual I often perform.
While I tie string to rail and lower bait into bay
I am overcome with a sudden ecstasy.
A shift in consciousness compels me to become
Part of a mystical, extraordinary gift of nature–
A numinous, inexplicable occasion of joy:
Cotton candy clouds drift across the bluest sky.
The bay is a vibrant swirl of turquoise ripples while
Sunshine’s gold pours rays over vivid green trees.
I shield my eyes from intense beauty and
Know the fullness of exquisite pain.
It’s as if God has turned on a surge of electricity
And the universe is showing off!
I am one with the beauty of nature’s bounty.
I breathe the pulsing blade of grass
And soar the ethereal sky.
I know the grace of agape love flowing inward
And feel an outpouring of love with each breath,
A sense of loving fulfillment I can’t contain.
I think this must be how it feels to die–
Only love, joy, and ineffable peace.
I believe I’m participating in cycles
Of life, death, and rebirth.
At forty-two I wonder why I’m receiving this gift,
So blessed to have a conversion experience–
A profound spiritual awakening I’d thought reserved
For saints and I did not consider myself religious.
Since my extraordinary gift of rebirth, I’ve learned all
Birth is sacred and each dawn brings a new day to celebrate
Whatever life brings even when the gift is ordinary.
Excellent ode to joy!
I loved it this time as much as before.
Your writing is always a pleasure to read. We lived near there and your description was perfect. The last line was a gift to all of us.
Took me back to that very place. Lovely memory.