Ambiguity
Learn to live with ambiguity,
with blurred lines, fuzzy edges,
fluid seams where one thing
spills into its opposite.
Be patient with all
that is uncertain in your life.
Enjoy mixtures,
befriend apparent contradictions,
don’t be in such a rush
to get closure every time.
Whoever said life was meant to be
one, pure, whole, and graspable?
And if by chance you spot
a little certainty fluttering nearby,
don’t reach out for her
and clasp her madly to your chest
or hoist her high above your head
like some tin trophy
or wield her like a club to force submission.
Instead, allow her to alight on the palm
of your open and trembling hand.
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For reflection:
- Reflect on some of the “blurred lines” and “fuzzy edges” you have experienced in life. What helps you to deal with them?
- How do you reconcile the Church’s teachings or dogmas with this poem celebrating ambiguity?
Suggested Scripture:
1. Isaiah 55, an invitation to seek God
2. Matthew 13: 24-30, the parable of the weeds among the wheat
Copyright 2012 Melannie Svoboda, SND. Used with permission.
