A song for simplicity
by Luci Shaw
There are some things that should be as they are:
plain, unadorned, common and all-complete;
things not in a clutter, not in a clump,
unmuddled and unmeddled with;
the straight, the smooth, the salt, the sour, the sweet.
For all that’s timeless, untutored, untailored and untooled;
for innocence unschooled;
for unploughed prairies, primal snow and sod,
water unmuddied, wind unruled,
for these, thank God.
Singly and strongly, from each separate star,
a brightness pricks the retina from far
to near. And for clear eyes to see
deep space and dark infinity
with an untroubled gaze,
give praise.
With both hands unjewelled and with unbound hair
beauty herself stands unselfconscious where
she is enough to have, and worth the always holding.
The mind perceiving her, the heart enfolding
echoes the unchanged pattern from above
that praises God for loveliness, and love.
Glory again to God for word and phrase
whose magic, matching the mind’s computed leap,
lands on the lip of truth,
(plain as a stone well’s mouth, and as deep)
and for the drum, the bell, the flute, the harp, the bird,
for music, Praise! that speaks without a word.
As for the rightness to be found
in the unembellished square and the plain round,
in geometric statement of a curve
respond! without reserve
but with astonishment that there’s for every man
one point in time, one plainly drafted plan,
and in your unique place,
give glory for God’s grace.
All this from him whose three-in-one
so simply brought to birth
from the red earth
a son.
All our complexity, diversity, decor,
facet the gem, encrust the clarity.
So pierce you now the opalescent glaze
till all your praise
rises to him in whom you find no flaw.
*Pictures taken this morning at the Columbia River Environmental Education Center.