Stones at Sunset

SMOOTH STONES

SMOOTH STONES

Dark and hardened my soul

Before your presence washed

With waves of psalms in song*

Dawning grace on grace comes

As tide turns and returns

Approaching and receding

Wave on wave of verses

Chanted antiphonally over and again

As waves run up the beach

Reaching ever higher to dunes

To smooth and cleanse stones

Softening hard edges to round

My stone soul washed and smoothed

Year upon year, tide upon tide

As rounded and smoothed

I may rest in your hand with delight

In the finding

Found by my beachcomber Christ

*written on Jan. 10, 2012, at Lauds at Mount Angel Abbey 

while listening to Psalm 42, 

"All your waves and breakers have washed over me..."