Ode to the Veil


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One doesn’t know  
the veil is there  
before it is lifted,  
Until that aha moment  
when it dissolves 
opening to a new reality,  
a doorway into  
the continuing dream.  

How many veils  
are still up now?  
What hides the beauty  
that I don't see,  
what befalls me  
that I don’t breathe in  
with reverence?  

What love  
do I not experience  
for some blind spot,  
what joy do I  
not languish in  
for some grid of perception  
that comes between it and me?  

What small miracle  
do I not wonder about  
and admire  for its brilliance?  
What part of life  
am I missing?  

In my Ode to the Veil  
I am hereby ready  
to have it removed,  
lifted  
so I can fully enjoy,  
with ecstasy,  
the truth surrounding me. 


©Sherrie Lovler
December 7, 2009


ABOUT THE POEM

“He hadn’t known the veil was there until it lifted.” Pg. 128 Nature and the Human Soul by Bill Plotkin

Anthony Lawlor, in 24 Patterns of Wisdom, brings up another way of looking at the veil—how we see the world through different grids of perception that we create, which then shape our opinions and vision. He writes how one can consciously blur that belief grid, which then “can guide you toward unforeseen benefits and open you to new, more expanded possibilities of experience.” Pg. 43 (Book available through Ink Monkey Press)

Both of these thoughts guided this poem, as I questioned, how much do I not see?

Bill Plotkin writes about how important our interaction is with the natural world, and most importantly, how crucial it is in a child’s education and experience. He quotes Tomas Berry, “If we lose the forest, we lose our souls.”

Growing up in the Bronx, my parents knew that we needed extended periods of time “in the country.” So for years we went to a bungalow colony in upstate New York each summer. I loved the time we had there in nature. Still, it wasn’t enough to satisfy my early adult yearnings. When I graduated from college I moved to three acres of land and really lived with nature. I remember the first winter when we suffered through four feet of snow and had to crack through three inches of ice to get our drinking water from an old well. I also learned to garden and soon we had a pony and donkey to greet each morning.

Now, with many years of living in small cities, I am wondering, in this poem, if I am really experiencing the natural world as fully as I can. Have I lost some of my appreciation for the small miracles that come from being close to the land? If so, I wish to lift that veil to see clearly again, and appreciate fully the world around me.

How has your growing up close to, or removed from nature, affected your life?

ABOUT THE PAINTING

This is a watercolor painting I did from a trip to Yosemite National Park. There I knew I could experience beauty at its best. How can one help but be in awe at nature in all it’s glory?

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