March 23, 2025 with Em Capito & Carl Rabke
A Purification
by Wendell Berry
At the start of spring I open a trench
in the ground. I put into it
the winter’s accumulation of paper,
pages I do not want to read
again, useless words, fragments,
errors. And I put into it
the contents of the outhouse:
light of the sun, growth of the ground,
finished with one of their journeys.
To the sky, to the wind, then,
and to the faithful trees, I confess
my sins: that I have not been happy
enough, considering my good luck;
have listened to too much noise;
have been inattentive to wonders;
have lusted after praise.
And then upon the gathered refuse
of mind and body, I close the trench,
folding shut again the dark,
the deathless earth. Beneath that seal
the old escapes into the new.
Special Acknowledgements
Thank you to Anna Pocaro for beautifully capturing our experience.
Thank you to Carl Rabke for contributing embodied wisdom, poetry, drums, song and so much more.
Thank you to Full Circle Yoga & Therapy for hosting us in their soulful space.
Thank you to our volunteers, Kate Hubrich and Kimberly Andelin.
Thank you to the poets whose work infused our experience with greater depth: Wendell Berry, John O’Donohue, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer and Jaiya John.
Thank you to every one who attended and contributed their presence, voice and open hearts.