Dana Butler
Reverence
From January 14, 2021
With respect
And reverence
That the unknown
Between us
Might flower
Into discovery
And lead us
Beyond
The familiar field
Blind with the weed
Of weariness
And the old walls
Of habit.
—John O’Donohue, On Meeting a Stranger
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He titled the poem “On Meeting a Stranger,“ and in how many ways are we still strangers to one another, even those of us who’ve known one another so long? Pieces of stories go unwitnessed, journeys to particular perspectives and paradigms kept inside for fear of harsh words or silent assumptions. Hard-won positions unheard, un-honored. Or heard somewhat and then dashed, disregarded. Souls unknown and unreceived. In this collectively dismantled, uncertain space, just days into 2021, I can only think of a few things we humans need more than the aforementioned reverence, respect, discovery.
