I CANNOT GET THEE CLOSE ENOUGH

God's World by Edna St. Vincent Millay

O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!
Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!
Thy mists that roll and rise!
Thy woods this autumn day, that ache and sag
And all but cry with colour! That gaunt crag
To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff!
World, World, I cannot get thee close enough!

Long have I known a glory in it all,

   But never knew I this;

   Here such a passion is

As stretcheth me apart, -- Lord, I do fear

Thou'st made the world too beautiful this year;

My soul is all but out of me, -- let fall

No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call.

Childhood memories are flying around like the wind, today, ...stinging just a little.

Alone.  Behind my grandparent's shed.  An 11 year old girl and already having a hard time being known.  I watched the "popular kids" from my class playing basketball down the hill about 100 yards away.  Yet...I kind of enjoyed just snuggling with my kitten.  Loving her so much it hurt.  Thinking I could hide there forever.  

Sitting on the end of the dock.  Feeling the warm rays of the sun on my face and my toes swirling in the warm water.   With my parents as owners of the restaurant and floating marina, it was my playground in the summer.  And as much fun as I had playing and laughing I also have the memories of solitude and reflection.  I don't know what I thought about as I looked across the great body of water.  I just remember the beauty in the gazing.

The morning sun would pour into our living room through huge glass sliding doors.  In it's illumination, I would sit in awe of the picture painted for me to take in.  The lake ran in front of our house about 100 yards down the hill, the trees cleared out just enough for a beautiful view.  Sun danced like diamonds and trees would change their leaves with the seasons.

I told my mother that I felt like the rainbow in that great Missouri sky was made just for me.  She assured me it wasn't.  I knew it wasn't JUST for me...but it was for me.

"Memories?", me starting to question my thouguhts.  "Why the tears?"

"I just can't hold thee close enough! I have been stretched apart - the Lord has made the world too beautiful!"

Photo of Lake at Chestnut Ridge Metro Park by Eugene Barnes as posted by Franklin County Metro Parks on their Facebook Page


The Poem was the first I memorized and loved...even though school made me do it:-)