All the suffering

All the suffering
All of it
Will come to an
End

The flowers bright with pink
And daisies white with joyful innocence

Push up
Thrust forth
With excellent urgency

Towards the Spring
To Easter tide

And all their roots are
Gripped with ecstasy.

All the suffering
All of it
Will come to an
End

And not just
An ending

But a fulfilment
A purposeful encounter

With the Victory of pain’s offering
The Victory of love’s waiting
The Victory of self-giving

To the Glory of Joy
The Joy of Glory

All of it
Can you believe it?

Will come at last to
See its own fulfilment

And its beauty

Radiant and dancing

At last.

5th February 2009

There are a few places that I have encountered where joy and suffering seem to be intimately present and connected – united through love – and the dignity and the sheer beauty of that combination are radiant.

Here is an example captured fantastically I think on a short film made by one of the bards of the bard school, Martin Earle who is living in L’Arche in France with a community of people, some of whom have particular special needs. I defy you not to dance or smile all the way through and shake your head and wonder at things… Here is Le Pudding de L’Arche..