In Search of Thin Places
by
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Wandering at 2 AM
Wandering, pacing—the old pads of his feet
make little slapping sounds on our wood floor,
as he circles round and round, looking
for a place to lie, but not finding one.
Disoriented when we fix dinner,
he looks up the step he no longer climbs.
When you go out he whines,
facing the door, infinitely awaiting your return.
Across the country, my mother waits, too,
pining for the
waiting to be able to chew again, forgetting again,
her broken jaw and the reasons for staying in the Memory Unit.
Helpless in my bed at
the ravages time has wrought.
Yet, within the mystical space in which they now must live,
lies some peaceful world, whose peace I do not yet possess.
A Smile at the Edge of Morning
Sitting in the meditation garden
began my day.
Sounds of workmen already at work
behind our house, punctuated sounds of water
falling out of a bamboo pipe into the pond below.
A morning swim felt good, the water warmish;
my body seemed to flow with effortless strokes
from one end of the pool to the other.
Frank, the shoeshine man from
we shook hands in friendship.
On the way home, an orthodox Jew emerged
from
He sniffed the air, smiling, his braids
swinging in the morning air
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Book Details
About the Book
At a very special lecture some years ago, the concept of “thin places” was introduced to me. Thin poems describe people, places or experiences where boundaries between the spirit world and the secular or material world are more transparent. This transparency, or “thinness”, enables a greater perception of spiritual matters, an encounter with God, a more spiritual approach to life. Thin places is a term that was given to sacred space, originally associated with Celtic Christians in the late Fifth Century. This book is organized into two thematic areas: Thin Places and Thin Experiences. Thin places can be found through travel, work, neighborhoods, nature and families. Thin experiences can be found through health, dreams, memories, spirituality and people. The title of the book comes from a self-label that evolved during a journey with cancer. The Author identifies himself with being a gentle warrior, one who strives for peace, harmony and balance. He hopes that readers will find these poems inspiring, comforting and useful.
About the Author
Chip King has been writing poems for over thirty years. After attending a Billy Collins workshop in 2003, he became more serious about poetry. Chip makes his living as a city planning consultant, in