excerpt: Thoughts in a Garden

"What wondrous life is this I lead!
Ripe apples drop about my head;
The luscious clusters of the vine
Upon my mouth do crush their wine;
The nectarine and curious peach
Into my hands themselves do reach;
Stumbling on melons, as I pass,
Ensnared with flowers, I fall on grass."

- Andrew Marvell, Thoughts in a Garden

Given the politicized nature of Marvell’s poetry in general, one wonders these many centuries later if this poem is a true feeling of a bliss in an autumn garden, or perhaps a satire about the status quo of his day. (Leaving that to you to read the full work and dig deeper.) But the beauty of the language in this excerpt resonates still today and gives us pause for conversation.

How do you see this poem? an experience in a garden? a hope-filled expression of the abundance around us? a metaphor of what God has to offer? Are we the fruit in God’s garden?

This fall the people of James Bay United Church continue to explore the abundance of Gods garden and tap into hope. There is an invitation for you here ... an invitation to journey with others who are learning what it means to experience richness in their lives ... to be “ensnared with flowers, and fall on grass”.

Gordon Miller
https://www.jamesbayunited.com/