How Marvelous is the World that You Have Made, O God — poem from South Africa

One of my favorite poets is Isobel deGruchy from South Africa. This poem is from her chapbook “Walking On,” a book of her poetry, watercolor and photographs. This photograph of the moon over Maurituris accompanies the poem.

Calm sea in the bay,
an empty beach,
night, silent and still,
the air a warm cloak around me,
and the moon, full, large, bright,
round as a ball,
tracing a silver pathway over the sea,
gently kissing the sand, trees, grass,
leaving them glowing with pleasure.

And the morning star —
how brightly it sparkles!
But seen through my binoculars
it too is as round as a ball,
radiating light from the universe’s beginning,
light that has travelled through space and time,
light that will travel on and on.
How marvelous is the world that you have made, O God.

Julian* centuries ago, in her tiny cell,
could not see this, could not know this:
but did she marvel at the full moon,
large, bright, round as a ball,
as she marvelled at the little thing,
small as a hazelnut,
round as a ball,
in the palm of her hand?

For she saw in it no less than all that is made,
God’s making,
God’s keeping, God’s caring,
the small hazelnut,
the full round moon,
the bright morning star
the light that travels forever,
all made by God and kept and loved by him.
How marvellous is the world that you have made, O God.    * Julien of Norwich

Isobel’s book reflecting on Julian of Norwich will be coming out in an American version in March released by the Paulist Press. The ISBN number is 978-0-8091-4858-5. It has a lovely cover, new for this version. This cover is from the British version .

Making All Things Well