When We Look

A timely film of beauty and grace

Dear Friends of Contemplative Chapel,

I have missed our gatherings via Zoom, and it looks as if Wednesday, September 11 might be a good day to resume. I will put up another post soon to confirm and invite your registration for the Zoom link, so please stay tuned.

For now, I simply want to share with you a new, 16-minute film by the South African production company “Reflections of Life,” formerly known as “Green Renaissance.” Their short films are soul-nourishing and inspiring, and this new one, “When We Look,” features our dear friend and beloved poet, Annie Lighthart, whose work has enriched our contemplative gatherings for years. Watch “When We Look” here.

Here is Annie’s poem, “When We Look,” in its entirety:

When We Look

When we look long at one another,
we soften, we relent, listen,

might forgive. We allow for silence
--and when we see each other,

are known, and in that moment
might change

though nothing has moved
or been spoken.

There are some who say
the walls cannot be broken,

but suddenly we are in a free place,
and the fields

that extend from its center
stretch for miles

as if out of the pupil and the iris
of that momentary kingdom.

____________________