haiti december 1994

my Dove,

in the clefts of the rocks

in the hiding places on the mountainside

Show me your face
Let me hear your voice


For your voice is sweet
and your face is lovely

sos 2:14

independence day

she waited on the plinth for the guns to sound
and her feet were ready for the plunge.
the one thing that held her back was
an awareness of the barnacles that clung to her every side
and would slow her down.
fear gripped her that they would pull her under
and she would be lost to their weight.
these chattels had a power over her
and yet she retained mastery.
the word "Mark!" was shouted
and she regained her footing
placing one leg in front
with readiness for complete immersion.
as the pistol shot echoed
the heaviness of the barnacles seized her back
though only for a moment,
and she pushed forward in hopes of autonomy.
time and space ceased to exist just an instant
before the water had been broken.
the sharp, bold, frigid water took her breath away
as its long, fluid, wiry fingers
stung her "barnaclized" body.
she pressed onward
not with the grace and elegance of a dolphin
or a mermaid
but with the determination of a sinking ship.
hopeful though weak of heart
her clumsy glide did not deter her from
maintaining a firm resolve to swim
and finish well.
the barnacles began squeezing tighter
and attempting to muster command of this doubtful vessel.
one by one they stepped up and marshaled together
to form a cowardly mutiny.
several ensnared her leg.
others commandeered her shoulders.
another arrested her breast.
still yet another captured her throat
and choked her breath.
the tenacious swimmer
wanted to give way to this aggressive coup
but chose to fight and struggle and defend her authority.
all seemed lost as she sunk down in complete submersion
and she groped for a buoy of hope or a cord of sanctity.
somewhere in the soul's storehouses a remembrance
of truths and mercies, graces and absolution
aroused strength and faithful resolution.
light pierced the dark depths of her fateful battle and
courage rallied as she reached for the unseen salvation.
and just then a barnacle fell off.
and another.
and another.
slowly they began all falling off.
the swimmer ascended and encouraged by the lighter load,
she sailed on with greater speed than she had ever known.
one by one the barnacles relinquished their hold
and freedom set the captive free.
she regained fortification and set off for the course ahead
this time with renewed bearings.

this water maiden can still be found breaking waves
or descending to underwater depths with
a fresh sense of emancipation.
occasionally she forgets the barnacles have been removed,
and her stroke becomes awkward and uneasy.
but for the most part
she swims now with powerful fluidity
and graceful tranquility.

© copyright micah holcombe 2007


(rough draft)

dedicated to carla and deborah for their steadfast friendship and for keeping me in the water.

holometabolism

have you ever waited for a monarch to emerge from its chrysalis? i cannot tell you how much patience it takes to wait for it to happen. my next door neighbor had two monarchs as a gift from a dia de los muertos potluck, and i was so excited to be invited to wait and watch with them. the pupation (hate that word) can take only 2 weeks for the monarch; but there can be a dormancy stage as the pupa waits for the appropriate season. metabolic activity slows down until the environmental conditions are just right. its all about timing. it is a complete and whole metamorphosis, but everything has to happen in its time.

we waited and waited for the lepidoptera to find their escape. i thought it would never happen, waiting around with the patience of a 2 year old. one day i found ruth on the ground on her front lawn, and she called me over. it was happening! the monarch was emerging! even then, there was more waiting. the butterfly needs the struggle of emerging to strengthen its wings. the process cannot be forced or helped; it needs the time to develop. when it emerges, even then there is more waiting. the wings need to dry out before it can fly.

i sat with ruth for about 45 minutes. it was truly an amazing process; a patient process. i could have laid there on their lawn all day long. i was in awe of nature's process. ruth waited for quite a while; i had places to go though i was quite envious of the fact that she was privy to this monarch's maiden flight. when the second monarch emerged, i was there for take off. metamorphosis happens everyday but it held me in astonishment. as my 2 year old niece would say, it is "amaaaazing".

waiting is incredibly difficult but the end result of patience is far greater than forcing and manipulating metamorphosis. anticipation only intensifies the experience. and again i say, waiting is incredibly difficult. but the end result is something whole and complete, strong and flight worthy, awe inspiring and beautiful.

oh, and did i say waiting is difficult? (yes, i am feeling a bit childlike today)


photo by ruth airhart

the sieve and the fire

"Come on, let's go back to God. He hurt us, but he'll heal us. He hit us hard, but he'll put us right again." Hosea 6:1-3 the Message

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; Isaiah 42:3 NIV

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 (I reaaaally struggle with this one. It is truth though)

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:2-5 (Struggling with this one too at the moment. And again, it is true)

(and this one i like)

these things i have spoken to you that in me you might find peace. in this world you WILL have tribulation. BUT be of good cheer for I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD. Jesus

contemplating bizarre amalgamations

the preposterous union

"well uncle rat laughed and hit his fat side
to think miss mousie a froggy's bride, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh"

"what will the wedding supper be
a french fried mosquito and a black eyed pea, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh"

...reminiscing froggy going a courtin' today.

A tall tale of a horse who married a hedgehog to follow soon.

an icy wedding

I was looking for funny anecdotes and witty sayings today and found a very strange tale of an icy marriage. Empress Anna Ivanovna was quite displeased when Prince Mikhail Alekseyevich Galitzine decided to marry a Catholic Italian woman rather than an Eastern Orthodox one. His bride died within two years of the marriage. Anna still held the grudge and decided on retribution. First she forced the prince to become a jester and then she retaliated again by forcing him to marry an ugly woman, another court jester. After the wedding ceremony, the couple were paraded on the back of an elephant with a crowd of "freaks" as their processional. They were then taken to the ice palace Anna had especially built where the happy couple were forced to spend their first night of wedded bliss. The ice house was complete with ice dishes and ice sculptures and ice pillows and a four post ice bed. The bride and groom were locked in their frigid nuptial room, and miraculously survived the night. Nine months later the jesters gave birth to twins. The ice house melted by summertime.
And what is the moral of this wacky story, children? If one sleeps on an ice pillow, take extra caution not to drool.

source: Wikipedia and a few other far fetched info sites

look well

to the remembrance of grace
for follies of youthful fancies
and foolish blunders of blithe impulses
can either crush a remorseful soul
or admonish a contrite heart

forget not

He said not 'Thou shalt not be tempested, thou shalt not be travailed, thou shalt not be dis-eased'; but he said, 'Thou shalt not be overcome.'

Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love(1342 - 1416)