by Chris La Rue, Hive Intern
Chris La Rue is a summer intern with us at the Hive. In addition to his kindness and helpfulness, Chris brings a robust inner-life to his work and some hidden skills as a poet and songwriter. He shared the following poem as an offering for our blog. It describes the journey between the inner landscape of our lives and outer landscapes where so much is learned, through the metaphor of a miner entering the mine shafts and caves and meeting others along the way. This poem ends in harmony with Merton and Rumi, more seasoned contemplatives who teach us to notice the shimmering qualities of our own very lives! We’ll share some of that poem here, in hopes that it encourages you to keep digging and learning as well:
I sink deeper into the mineshaft of presence with each passing breath.
I pass by the workers, creations of my ego that were conceived
that one time I felt pain and did what I could to avoid it.
A breath.
My rope extends.
I drop, passing another worker.
The bottom of my exhale catches me.
And so it goes.
Sometimes I bring gifts down this mineshaft;
Those deposits of truth and wisdom I hear in this world.
They start out as rocks at the top.
But as I descend, they transform.
With each breath, the rocks begin to shine.
A metamorphosis of rock to diamond.
Growing, growing, growing.
I’m never sure how deep I need to go to gift this diamond to myself.
But there’s this old trick the Spirit taught me:
“You’ll know you're close when one of the workers whispers, ‘Those on the surface need this diamond more than you do!’ That worker will be convincing. That worker might even use my words to convince you to give that diamond away before you receive it. But take a few more breaths.”
This diamond has now grown to shine like the sun.
And I can’t help but think,
“Oh, imagine what esteem would be mine if I gifted this away now…”
But then I remember that old trick the Spirit taught me.
A breath, taking the effort of a thousand.
My rope extends.
I drop, passing that whispering worker.
And I gasp.
For my diamond is gone.
Stillness.
I quietly rise to the surface, and by the time I’ve gotten back,
I’ve forgotten entirely about that diamond.
I’m greeted by a friend at the surface.
Their awestruck gaze is met by my confusion.
“My friend,” they say,
“Do you know that your body is shining like the sun?”