One Never Knows

by Sr Sally Hyland SJG

It’s so true; one never knows. God’s grace is ever operative, in mysterious and wonderful ways. Let me tell you of one such experience....

The evening was a celebration of poetry, the gift of poetry, the music of the soul. The venue was St Columbanus’ Hall in scenic Howth, Co. Dublin. Despite the wet and windy weather conditions, the people trooped in, greeted each other in muted tones and settled down into the comfy red, upholstered chairs. The ambience was good, warm and inviting. Three fantastic musicians/singers set the tone with poignantly beautiful renditions.

The evening rolled along; various poets and writers read their work, entertaining, stimulating and evoking. The final poet, a local woman, Christina Molloy, was introduced. She read a poem, entitled, Untold. However, she not only read it - she lived it and relived it, reading each line with evident sincerity and unconscious but highly effective theatrical expression. She relived it like a soul gasp from her deepest centre. Each syllable, each line etched itself into our receptive beings, generating and stimulating memories, imagination and possibilities. We had a Seamus Heaney experience, which succeeded in its effort to “catch the heart off guard and blow it open” (Spirit Level, 1996). The poet lamented things unsaid, so much left unsaid, while at the same time encouraged us to speak, to talk, to communicate; to name, claim and share our feelings, our regrets and sorrows, our gratitude, love and appreciation. The poem urged us to say the obvious and even the seemingly unsayable, to tell our story, especially to the young. The poet’s voice dipped, lilted and rose in soft cadences, inviting us to savour, not just the well- chosen poetic words, but, above all, to translate those words into action - to live our truth, to be prophets and seers of sensibilities, to transcend and transform the most mundane experiences with golden touches of expressed feeling. The poem invited us to say it! To take the risk and plunge beneath and soar beyond the surface, to burst open creative windows of wonder, to be seers and sayers of not only the obvious but also the hidden. To expand awareness, tap into the unconscious and make it conscious, so we can all become more real, more authentic, more human, more at ease. When the poet concluded her poem, there were audible gasps of appreciation, followed by enthusiastic applause. Obviously the listeners were profoundly touched. Harvesting the energy of the moment and adding another dimension, Christina explained: “I once read that poem in a hall elsewhere and afterwards a tall elderly gentleman approached me with tears in his eyes, saying: “Thanks for that, I am now going off to ring my daughter with whom I have had no contact for fifteen years.” More audible gasps followed. There was an almost tangible, emotional shift in the

room, as we all touched into our own life’s journey of “so much left unsaid.” The event over, as we restacked the chairs, I went over to thank Christina, who said: “I am completely overwhelmed with awe and gratitude. One never knows....” She then discretely pointed out a tall lady just exiting. That lady had thanked the poet, quietly adding, “I am the daughter of the tall, elderly gentleman. I want to say a sincere thank you.” One never knows where or when grace will break through.

UNTOLD

So many things we leave untold But we must get them out before we grow too old. We spend too much time waiting for a better time For something to be said. We can’t stand behind the mourner - we don’t know them well enough They might think we’re over-stepping the mark, All kinds of useless stuff.

Worst of all the petty feuds that close a mouth for good Better to be overly kind than overruled by ‘should’ Rather too much fire than none at all So many things the next generation don’t know Because we don’t take time to explain to them before they grow They get busy...they leave...we forget...and now they’ll never know The old landmark ...Our stories ... their stories... The Greatest story ever told, UNTOLD ...