The "God" Poem

[In the summer of 2002, Bob & Lou were taking part in a journaling retreat at Glen Agape, a retreat center owned by f(F)riend Bill Stevens. They were studying the journals of early Friend John Woolman that reported Woolman's experience of a diminishment of "self" and an increase in a oneness with God. Woolman was an early abolitionist and outspoken advocate of peace and justice. Bob wrote the following poem in about 15 minutes before breakfast the last day of the retreat.]

God

Deep in the cauldron of eternity
before time and space ever were,
You longed to know your own magnificence
to experience as more than dream or fantasy
your great power to create.
You longed for your unique being to be known
by sight and sound, by touch and taste and smell.

You, who were Consciousness and nothing else.
You blew yourself apart and birthed the cosmos.
You split yourself into night and day
and shaped yourself as planets, stars and galaxies.
As trees and shrubs, as robin and worm,
as wolves and whales, wheat and weeds, lake and desert.

You birthed yourself as Indian, African, Caucasian and Oriental
Infinite in shape and size, talent and temperment
You flowed forth as friend and neighbor,
as stranger, outsider, alien, unknown
Flowed forth as all who gather here this day ...
and gather there ... and there ... and there.

You became it all ... us all.
Each a reflection of divinity,
Holograms of holiness,
Sacred, reverenced, lovable.

And still ... the creating churns on, bubbling,  pressing upward
from the deeps of all that is unfolding, forming, fashioning,
from an infinite reserve.

You are Life
You are the restless tide. the ceaseless wind.
You are the universe ...  the sun ... the earth
all creatures - great and small
my family ... me.

Blessed be your name.

-- Bob Ouradnik