Rice Paper – v6

We think we are independent,
islands separated, apart, or so it is,
if we think only of ourselves
of the others, those we touch in life

What if our spirits are dipped,
what if they are painted, drenched,
covered in coal-black printer’s ink
what if our journey, every action,
every step, every word we speak,
our walk of faith, of life, on this earth
was written upon thick rice paper
absorbed into other flesh
written on other lives

What if our spirits left deep impressions
a bit of ourselves, a touch, a shadow, an echo
each one living characters, stenciled,
words of generosity or of self
as if written by a stylus, thickly,
darker when self-centered, selfish
brighter, bolder within our faith, our living
what if we left a mark, a scar, an impression
forever, permanent in time, eternal
Marks left forever, a fossil record,
like dinosaur tracks in moving clay

Preserved, for someone, for hearts, to read, interpret,
to remember, to judge, in some distant future
words written, by our words, our actions
drawn, written, left on the rice paper
pages of our lives, in the book of life
the ink left here on earth
lines of our lives, written for others
imprinted upon their lives
and those who will follow

We are not islands, separate
we are connected to each other
our words, our actions, written
written on other lives.


------
Edited August 17, 2012
“Rice Paper – v5”
http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/08/rice-paper-v5.html
Edited August 17, 2012
“Rice Paper – v4”
http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/08/rice-paper-v4.html
Edited August 16, 2012
“Rice Paper – v3”
http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/08/rice-paper-v3.html
edited February 17, 2012
“Rice Paper – v2”
http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/02/rice-paper-v2.html
February 16, 2012
“Rice Paper”
http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/02/rice-paper.html
Wednesday evening worship
Fourth of series on prayer,
inspired by Marcia McFee,
“All My Days: A Summer of Prayer”,
Third Sunday: Stepping Stones
and meditation
by Pastor Ruth Foss
https://twitter.com/PastorRuthFoss
http://www.facebook.com/pastorruthfoss
http://www.ahandmaidenofthelord.blogspot.com
http://pastorruth.posterous.com/
A Handmaiden of the Lord
http://www.suncookumc.org
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://www.suncookumc.org
http://facebook.com/groups/136632035559/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suncook-United-Methodist-Church/102221356487965
Suncook, NH
February 15, 2012
&
Wednesday evening worship
Third of series on prayer,
inspired by Marcia McFee,
“All My Days: A Summer of Prayer”,
Third Sunday: Silence
and meditation
by Pastor Ruth Foss
https://twitter.com/PastorRuthFoss
http://www.facebook.com/pastorruthfoss
http://www.ahandmaidenofthelord.blogspot.com
http://pastorruth.posterous.com/
A Handmaiden of the Lord
http://www.suncookumc.org
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://www.suncookumc.org
http://facebook.com/groups/136632035559/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suncook-United-Methodist-Church/102221356487965
Suncook, NH
February 8, 2012
&
Wednesday evening worship
Second of series on prayer,
inspired by Marcia McFee,
“All My Days: A Summer of Prayer”,
Second Sunday: Bumpy Bead
1 John 4:7-21
and meditation
by Pastor Ruth Foss
https://twitter.com/PastorRuthFoss
http://www.facebook.com/pastorruthfoss
http://www.ahandmaidenofthelord.blogspot.com
http://pastorruth.posterous.com/
A Handmaiden of the Lord
http://www.suncookumc.org
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://www.suncookumc.org
http://facebook.com/groups/136632035559/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suncook-United-Methodist-Church/102221356487965
Suncook, NH
January 25, 2012
&
Wednesday evening worship
start of series on prayer,
inspired by Marcia McFee,
“All My Days: A Summer of Prayer”,
First Sunday: God
Psalm 105:1-6
Isaiah 56:1-8
Acts 17:22-32
poem, “Pied Beauty”,
by Gerard Manley Hopkins
and meditation
by Pastor Ruth Foss
https://twitter.com/PastorRuthFoss
http://www.facebook.com/pastorruthfoss
http://www.ahandmaidenofthelord.blogspot.com
http://pastorruth.posterous.com/
A Handmaiden of the Lord
http://www.suncookumc.org
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://www.suncookumc.org
http://facebook.com/groups/136632035559/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suncook-United-Methodist-Church/102221356487965
Suncook, NH
January 11, 2012

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.