Looking at a poem as scripture

 I recently discovered Christian Wiman’s wonderful poem “All My Friends Are Finding New Beliefs” on the wonderful podcast “Poetry Unbound.”

The program begins with the host, Pádraig Ó Tuama, making this remark: “… poetry, for me, has become a scripture that is in partnership with my life. I trust that somebody around the world has written a poem that is going to be sufficient for the moments of my life where I need something that hasn’t been said to me before. And if I can’t find it, I try to write it.”

I find it remarkable because I’ve come to the same place. It’s as if I’d wandered off into some really good wilderness, looking for solitude, and there I find Pádraig.

I grew up with one sense of scripture, a profound reverence for the Bible, and have come to a sense of something else — of scripture as the voice of an inspired poet.

I’m posting this because I think Christian Wiman is a wonderful poet who wrote the great poem about Texas, The Long Home. 

If you’re interested, here’s the link:

https://onbeing.org/programs/christian-wiman-all-my-friends-are-finding-new-beliefs/