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Echoes of The Right to God
First Place
Mary Dyer Hubbard loves
stories. As a Licensed
Professional Counselor,
Certified Pastoral Counselor
and staff therapist with the
Samaritan Counseling Center
of Southeastern
Pennsylvania, she listens to
people's deepest stories of
love, suffering, striving and
healing. As a writer and a
public speaker, she also
shares stories from her own
life journey by recounting
her experiences: growing up
in a large family, being a nun
for 20 years, leaving the
convent, experiencing life on
her own, becoming a campus
minister and a chaplain,
meeting and falling in love
with her husband Carl,
playing the guitar with him,
facilitating inspirational
experiences for women's
groups, and being awed by
God every day.
The Dance
By Mary Dyer Hubbard
By Mary Dyer Hubbard
Once upon a time
there must have been a little girl
who dove head-first
into crinkly, crunchy autumn leaves
and laughed at the dried paper fragments
sticking to her hair.
Big giant stomping steps
flailing arms
belly flops
as cascades of color sprayed about her
stirring up odors pungent as fall
and smelling free.
But one day (or one of many days)
the little girl crawled away somewhere
deep inside her rented self.
I huddle in the darkness
crouching 'round
my trembling core.
Run away?
Where?
(I am safe
nowhere)
My heart wild beats in hiding
announcing game to all
who seek the hunt.
Little,
a very little song
begins to hum in me.
Shhh! Hush! Stop!
Someone will hear!
I won't be safe!
Still... it is a lovely sound
gives comfort to my waiting
and calm grows down
my pulse
as deep I breathe again.
So good this tune
spreads hope and strength
and introduces wonder.
I take it up
hum to whisper to breathy song
'til fears cast off
and abandoned I am
to the power of that
melody.
I stretch up and out
in courage
and in volume.
No,
hurt is never gone
but
I've looked at pain
been felled by pain
in pain I'll rise again.
The song, it soars!
My heart explodes
in joyous sounds and movement,
arms and hands, they clap and swing
my torso feels the surging,
mighty feet tap wondrous beats
my head tilts back in glory!
Ecstasy! Ecstasy!
Pour it
into the dance!
Yet, even as I turn and swoop and plunge and jump,
I ask:
From whence came the hum?
And like the song
from little
big it grows
until I shout above the
joyous din:
My God! I know!
your voice
your song
your life
within my depths!
Oh God, I bow
now lift me high
and swing me
in the dance!
there must have been a little girl
who dove head-first
into crinkly, crunchy autumn leaves
and laughed at the dried paper fragments
sticking to her hair.
Big giant stomping steps
flailing arms
belly flops
as cascades of color sprayed about her
stirring up odors pungent as fall
and smelling free.
But one day (or one of many days)
the little girl crawled away somewhere
deep inside her rented self.
I huddle in the darkness
crouching 'round
my trembling core.
Run away?
Where?
(I am safe
nowhere)
My heart wild beats in hiding
announcing game to all
who seek the hunt.
Little,
a very little song
begins to hum in me.
Shhh! Hush! Stop!
Someone will hear!
I won't be safe!
Still... it is a lovely sound
gives comfort to my waiting
and calm grows down
my pulse
as deep I breathe again.
So good this tune
spreads hope and strength
and introduces wonder.
I take it up
hum to whisper to breathy song
'til fears cast off
and abandoned I am
to the power of that
melody.
I stretch up and out
in courage
and in volume.
No,
hurt is never gone
but
I've looked at pain
been felled by pain
in pain I'll rise again.
The song, it soars!
My heart explodes
in joyous sounds and movement,
arms and hands, they clap and swing
my torso feels the surging,
mighty feet tap wondrous beats
my head tilts back in glory!
Ecstasy! Ecstasy!
Pour it
into the dance!
Yet, even as I turn and swoop and plunge and jump,
I ask:
From whence came the hum?
And like the song
from little
big it grows
until I shout above the
joyous din:
My God! I know!
your voice
your song
your life
within my depths!
Oh God, I bow
now lift me high
and swing me
in the dance!
Maxfield Parrish, Ecstasy