REFLECTION
By Joan C. Pendergast on April 21, 1985
Quiet river flowing on its own
Soft spring colors, green and white and brown.
River’s surface multiplies delight
Tree bough, leaf and flower can be seen twice.
Mirror surface – likeness all its own
Deep soft water, green and white and brown.
With room for individual expression
Of tree bough leaf and flower above the ground.
My souls is drawn to our Creator’s mystery
We’re God’s reflection in muted imagery.
We look the same but aren’t as clear and bright,
As we’re washed clean, we will yield more delight.
Mirror surface likeness but it’s dim,
Not as shiny brilliant clear, but then,
When we finish traveling on this earth
Our reflections cease and we’ll be one.
Quiet river flowing on its own,
Soft spring colors, green and white and brown,
River’s surface multiplies delight
Tree bough, leaf and flower can be seen twice.
SEAGULL Nov. 8, 1980
A seagull
Begins to take flight.
It gets off the ground,
But finds a great wall of
Wind
Pushing from the opposite direction.
The seagull, lacking strength or
For some other reason
Decided to take a break and settle back on the rock.
It ponders a while
Over what the wind is requiring of him,
And how he will work the wind
To take flight again.
After a sufficient amount of time
The seagull gathers strength
For new flight.
It believes it has learned how to
Ride with the wind.
The seagull takes off –
There is a little struggle,
Testing out his ponderings.
Then seagull unites with breath of wind,
And is successful in flight.
Is this not similar to our walk in God’s Holy Spirit,
Our instructor in God’s Holy will?
The struggle is between God’s will
And ours,
The Holy Cross.
There are other birds of various
Sea – kinds
With varying agilities
And varying abilities –
Different presences,
Unique at the moment.
All trying to ride with the wind.
Some seabirds right now seem to have an easier time of it than others.
One is just sitting on the rock for now.
Many varieties –
Different struggles –
All beautiful
All related to God.
All working out their life in His wind at the moment.
The birds teach us many things about people:
We need God’s creatures to teach us who we are.
Joan Pendergast
Joan Pendergast founded and ran After Abortion Helpline, Inc., in Rhode Island, for 20 years, and helped develop and run Project Rachel and Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats for the Diocese of Providence. Joan is the author of “Markings of Mercy: The Story of After Abortion Helpline.”
