Reading poetry aloud

When I read this poem today (three times!) aloud for the meditation at the beginning of the Wisdom Class reading group, I finally realized how important it is to read poetry out loud. Although I'd found this poem by Joy Harjo to be very meaningful when I read it silently to myself, when I read it aloud, the words came alive in a startling fashion.

So I suggest that you read the following poem aloud as you sit before this computer screen:

Eagle Poem

To pray you open your whole self
To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can't see, can't hear
Can't know except in moments
Steadily growing, and in languages
That aren't always sound but other
Circles of motion.
Like eagle that Sunday morning
Over Salt River. Circles in blue sky
In wind, swept our hearts clean
With sacred wings.
We see you, see ourselves and know
That we must take the utmost care
And kindness in all things.
Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
We are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon, within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us.
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.
In beauty.

Joy Harjo ~

(How We Become Human: New and Selected Poems 1975-2001)

For other thoughts about poetry, go to Mompriest's posting at http://seekingauthenticvoice.blogspot.com/