I Don't Know How to Say It

a poem by Peter M. Ivey

my eldest son, circa 2016

I Don’t Know How to Say It

I could tell you 
of his adolescent arm, 
once the length of a lengthy pumpkin stem, 
resting on my hovering shoulder. 

I could describe 
my breath like a radiating flame 
in the crook of his bent neck. 

I could explore 
the itch of my graying beard, 
the twitch of his descending body, 
the silence. 

I could replay 
the gratitude that pooled 
beneath my eyelids, the dorsal fin 
of time that cut through my brackish mind. 

Or I could simply say 
that God was there as I laid with my son
at the end of another day.

---

An Invitation

1. Is there a word, phrase, or image that captures your attention in today’s poem?

2. Where have you encountered God unexpectedly over the past week? Take some time to ask the Spirit to illuminate a moment for you. Sit with it. Savor it. Pay attention and become curious about what stirs in you emotionally and/or physically as you replay this memory in your mind.

3. Consider reading the poem one more time, asking the Holy Spirit, What invitation are you offering me here today? Listen, linger, and rest in God’s unending love for you.

If today’s poem spoke to you in any way, I’d love to hear about it! Consider dropping a word in the comments below. You might also consider sharing it with your friends!

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