Presents: An Audio Reading of Norman MacCaig’s Poem
I came across Norman MacCaig’s poem in Anam Cara by John O’Donohue, and I will never look at my nightstand quite the same way again.
This poem suggests the dual rhythm of emptiness and plenitude at the heart of the life of the soul. Nothingness is the sister of possibility. It makes urgent space for that which is new, surprising, and unexpected. When you feel nothingness and emptiness gnawing at your life, there is no need to despair. This is a call from your soul, awakening your life to new possibilities.
—John O’Donohue
PRESENTS
I give you an emptiness,
I give you a plenitude.
Unwrap them carefully.
—one's as fragile as the other—
and when you thank me
I'll pretend not to notice the doubt in your voice
when you say they're just what you wanted.
Put them on the table by your bed.
When you wake in the morning
they'll have gone through the door of sleep
into your head. Wherever you go
they'll go with you and
wherever you are you'll wonder,
smiling about the fullness
you can't add to and the emptiness
that you can fill.
More Audio Reading on the Soulspace Blog
My name is Kirsten. I accompany folks as they attune to the inner experiences of life in spiritual direction, a place of presence and connection, a place to anchor briefly amid the chaos, a spacious place to be seen and known. If you would like to read more about this type of accompaniment, you can visit my offerings page here.
