Blessing of Change

When the unexpected knocks you brutally to the ground
And leaves you writhing in a pool of unanswered questions
May you hear the song of the mountain
Whose long, slow melody turns earthquakes into Everest

When life’s recent rupture breaks you like an iceberg
Isolated from its ancient glacier
To float aimlessly in a sea of unknown
May those newly around you taste and treasure
Your sacrificial gift from distant time
O giver of newness to the water world

When the parched seed of heart’s desire
Buried deep in the desert of your soul
Groans for the transforming rains that never seem to come
May the smell of approaching storms
And the reverberation of thunder
Abide long in your memory to give you hope

May the predictability of the tides organize you
May the variety of the weather refresh you
May the metamorphosis of the butterfly encourage you
May the surprise of the shooting star inspire you

May He who changes not
Anchor you, guide you, sustain you
Protect you, comfort you, and even transform you
Throughout the ever-changing change of your life
From the catharsis of your birth
To the transmutation of your death

– David Brazzeal
(for my daughters)

in the spirit of John O’Donohues’s “Beannacht”