There once was a wanderer, a seeker of truth,
although he never knew that’s what he was;
he just happened to be in the desert late at night,
under a clear sky, struck by a full moon.
And, he became lost, or so he thought,
and somewhere in the night he followed a sound,
an unknown hymn that was pleasing to his ears,
and it led him to a very old woman
eating some beans and humming.
He listened to her song,
which was raspy but strong,
lilting and Aum,
silent in parts and like the soul.
When she had finished, or so he thought,
he asked, “Tell me, Woman, Cast in Moon-glow,
to whom were you singing just now?”
“The beans,” replied she, with a smile.
“The beans?” he queried,
but she simply nodded and took another bite.
“I thought you might be singing
to a God of some sort.”
“I was,” she responded.
Then she began her hymn again.
The man listened awhile longer,
his mind afire with questions.
Who was this strange woman?
Was she so old she did not know
to whom she was singing?
However, he admitted privately
that her song was very beautiful,
haunting, deep and mysterious.
When her song’s last vibrations
had silenced once again,
and she resumed her late meal,
the man said, “I do appreciate your song
very much, dear woman.
May I ask a favor? Would you sing a song to me?”
“I was,” she responded.
And then her song started up again.
Perplexed, the man waited until she had finished,
then he decided to try another path with this woman.
“May I ask another favor, dear woman?
Will you recite me a poem?”
“Did you not just hear it?” She responded,
and went back to her song.
Danielle Sainte-Marie is an international award-winning poetess and author of
A Glimpse to Open Pt. Eye I and A Glimpse to Open Pt. Eye II. To learn more visit Danielle’s blog
or Official Site. For more information or purchase A Glimpse to Open Pt. Eye I and II visit Amazon.com
