Christmas Wonder

I took this picture in Montreal about three years ago. Kneeling in that magnificent church this woman may not have taken off her shoes--but she knew she was on holy ground. Most folks I know are starved for wonder. TV won't do it. Breaking news won't do it. The thus-and-so-ness of life surely won't do it. Arthur Gordon years ago had a book that I cherish. It is called: A Touch of Wonder. We all need a touch of wonder, don't we?

One of my favorite poets is a man who lived in Nova Scotia. His name was Alden Nowlan. He wrote this a poem, which will not reproduce because it is pretty long. But he said that one day somebody asked him what were some of the great things that had happened in his life. I thought: good question, especially when you have mucho miles on the odometer and strange questions pop into your head at unexpected times.

But I degrees. As Nowlan thought about that question he said he answered as most of us would: Something like the moon landing or some other historic momentous moment as the greatest thing. But, he said when we answered like that we really would be lying. So he went back to1963.  He said there were only three of them living in a three-room flat on a street where nobody lived who could afford anywhere else. Ans then these words:

(The greatest thing) "That night, the three of us, Claudine, Johnnie and me,
 woke up at half-past four in the morning and ate cinnamon toast together.

"Is that all?" I hear somebody ask.

Oh, but we were silly with sleepiness
and, under our windows, the street-cleaners
were working their machines and conversing in    
    Italian, and
everything was strange without being threatening,
even the tea-kettle whistled differently
than in the daytime: it was like the feeling
you get sometimes in a country you've never visited
before, when the bread doesn't taste quite the same,
the butter is a small adventure, and they put
paprika on the table instead of pepper,
except that there was nobody in this country
except the three of us, half-tipsy with the wonder
of being alive, and wholly enveloped in love."

Wow is about all I can say. For in a world of lawyers and investigations and porn stars and deceit and heartbreak we need a time out. Big time. Some moment when we least expect it when open-mouthed like Moses the bush burns and we don't know what to do exactly except, maybe take off our shoes and brush the tears from of our eyes. The Book says this was a turning point in Moses' life. Maybe when the bush close by bursts into flames it will change our lives too. Who knows?

--Roger Lovette / rogerlovette.blogspot.com