Ending and Unending: The Art of Meditation in the Christian Tradition
A new poetry book by Margrit Dahm, reviewed by Stefan Reynolds
This is the second book of poems by Margrit Dahm about meditation that are treasured by the community. The first, Transforming the Moment, was published by Matthew James in 2016. Medio Media have published the new book.
Laurence Freeman writes about the poems:
It is with great pleasure and deep appreciation that I have read and enjoyed Margrit’s new collection of poems. They clearly express her sensitivity to both the inner and outer worlds and to the dimension of the Spirit which unites them. In these dark days of our civilisation, every voice that speaks truth from the heart and, as the apostle Paul says, “speaks the truth in love”, is a gift of hope.
This collection of poems touches on topics of life, love, sadness, joy, oneness. Margrit Dahm’s simple, easy lines surprise us even as they uncover timeless truths often lost in layers of cluttered vision. To read these poems is to grow in our sense of wonder and trust in the transformative power of meditation.
We learn to let go …
Not much seems to change,
and yet it does:
the focus has shifted.
My own feeling is that the poems are like a soft river flowing and soothing one into meditation. Or one can just read one at a time. They remind me of the still small voice that leads us gradually, through the ups and downs of life, into wisdom. Margrit shows us that this is a wisdom hard won but once won is never lost.
Here are two of my favourites (from p. 55 & p. 64 of the book)
Inner and Outer
Sounds of different thoughts
surround the sea of silence:
soon the trees will be green again
a deep peace is awakened,
awareness spreads throughout:
the daffodils have passed their prime
the bus fills up with people:
that which is passing mingles
with that which is timeless
His Touch
His touch is never heavy –
it is light and undeterred
by any lack of thoughtfulness.
It can be easily overlooked
and neglected if we let
ourselves be driven
by too much busyness.
But when we feel that
joyful spark once more
which can lighten every heart
and every burden,
we recognize that it is his
touch which brightens our day
Margrit sees meditation as a journey and each poem gives a little taste of what it is like to be on the way. In the Foreword of this book Margrit writes,
I hope that the small landmarks I have created here will send out a word of encouragement to those who might read them; they are meant to be markers which point the way when we embark on this journey the end of which will always be the realm of the unending grace and presence of God.
I highly recommend this book and am sure many will enjoy it.
It is available through various outlets and through the Medio Media website on this link: http://tiny.cc/dahm2
Stefan Reynolds