The smoke seemed to be clearing a little and I had a guest visiting, so I wondered if there would be much to see from the small mountain where Westminster Abbey makes its home. There is a viewpoint that looks over the Fraser Valley and there are thick treed walking trails and the beauty of the Cathedral itself. John was away so both Caleb and Emma and my guest, journeyed up the mountain together and after walking, by chance caught Sext prayers (mid-day) sung by the monks in the Cathedral. Sometimes beauty conspires to confront you from every angle. This summer sentence is an oasis in the midst of summer frolicking…
It was a surprise to me that Emma would even come into the sanctuary and I knew she had been drawn to the fount at the back of the sanctuary when I took her wet hand in mine. It prompts me to think of those gathered at the pool of Bethesda (John 5: 1-9) waiting for their moment to enter the waters of healing. But it’s Jesus’ words that echo in my mind inviting: “Do you want to be healed?”
As Emma stirred the holy waters, plainsong stilled our harried hearts.
To hear the plainsong please click to see the video link: Plainsong (for those who are familiar with Caleb’s plainsong, he can be heard in the background.
The Summer in Sentences so far
I took your picture; you took mine. Then a turtle – Summer! – the first day!
(No need to mention Walmart.
Nobody thinks that’s much fun.)
Toys R Us: museum of the mature, fun house of the child at heart.
Dad, curious about what he was missing, followed us like pond ducks.
Canada Day: too hustling-bustling. We reversed momentum.
No! I won’t go! she said, using her body punctuation – two stomps.
(So you don’t have to wonder
where we are on harder days )
Before it gets hot, let’s find our spot – walk, and hope for dogs on leashes
Cool happens in sunglasses; brother lets sister bask in his brightness.
Even Big Screen projection can’t imagine the possibilities!
Since the theatre worked, we tried church and slipped out before the preaching.
(All that moss is falling off
Our rocks have started rollin‘)
© 2017 – Laurel Archer
Summer Sentences is a writing project using Allen Ginsberg’s American Sentences Poetic form — one line of poetry containing 17 syllables, an adaptation of the Haiku. The project is an expression of our mother-daughter outings through the summer. It may not show it (now or ever) and we may not be brave enough to display our failed outings, but all this takes some courage for both of us. The goal is to be out of the house, hanging out together and enjoying some places in and around our home.