Song for Nobody
by Thomas Merton

A yellow flower
(Light and spirit)
Sings by itself
For nobody.

A golden spirit
(Light and emptiness)
Sings without a word
By itself.

Let no one touch this gentle sun
In whose dark eye
Someone is awake.

(No light, no gold, no name, no color
And no thought:
O, wide awake!)

A golden heaven
Sings by itself
A song to nobody.

The first thing that happens: I walk past a spectacular rain sprinkled bright golden sweet tipped Black-Eyed-Susan. It’s a sweet morning, but rainy, cooler. Charleston barked us awake at 1:30––visitors in the yard? He kept us restlessly awake all night. Both dogs wanted to go out for a walk, and since it was wet, I decided to go for a long run in the wet woods. I wanted to try for an hour on the trails. I made Suzi go home after ten minutes, and then Charlie and I slapped through the wet woods. Without getting tired, not too tired, I ran five miles and was satisfied. Every summer I wonder if I will ever regain my fitness level from a previous summer. I always fear I won’t, I’m getting older, slowing down? So, when I have a morning like this one, that shows me I can still run, swim and bike as I used to, I am happily surprised. Charlie and I ran home through the lace covered, cloud covered meadow. I did not get to work much on my newest poem today, so for tomorrow in my Thursday morning workshop, I will work on the revision of the poem from two weeks ago. I am thinking I may work toward a long run, as I have done before, in October, for my birthday. This year, for my grandson’s birthday too.