Visitation of the Virgin

I was reading Ranier Maria Rilke's book of poems, "The Life of the Virgin Mary" this afternoon, and found this poem about Mary's visit to Elizabeth to be rather profoundly beautiful.

Visitation of the Virgin

She still walked easily in the beginning.
Yet already was sometimes aware when climbing
of her marvelous body's life within.
And then, pausing for breath, she stood upon

the high hills of Judea. But spread wide
around her, was her fullness, not the land.
Walking, she felt: no one would overstride
the greatness which she now could understand.

And the need pressed on her not to lay her hand
on the other body, which had gone on further.
And the women leaned to one another, and
they touched each other on the dress and hair.

Each one, filled with her own sacred good
used the other as shield in her plight.
Ah, the saviour in her still was bud,
but in her cousin's womb, the Baptist could,
and did, leap in rapture of delight.

Within Arm's Reach

• 1 litre bottle of water
• the first season of Joan of Arcadia on dvd.
• "Take This Bread" by Sara Miles
• 4 issues of "Memory Makers" magazine
• 2 issues of "Creating Keepsakes" magazine
• 3 issues of "Real Simple" magazine
• "Visions of Christ: A Posthumous Cycle of Poems" by Ranier Maria Rilke
• "Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself" by Alan Alda (which, by the way, has got to be one of the best book titles I've seen in a while. the title itself made me pick it up at the library this morning. it's just a happy coincidence that I'm also a huge fan of M*A*S*H*, and will enjoy reading Alan Alda's memoir.)
• "The Life of the Virgin Mary" by Ranier Maria Rilke
• "Bless the Space Between Us" by John O'Donohue
• "The Soul Tells a Story" by Vinita Hampton Wright
• "50 Ways to Pray: Practices from Many Traditions and Times" by Teresa A. Blythe
• A mandarin orange
• my bible and journal
• 2 journal pens and one pen for underlining in my Bible
  
• "Tickets for a Prayer Wheel" by Annie Dillard
• "Rilke's Book of Hours: Love Poems to God" by Ranier Maria Rilke
• "A Life of Miracles: a 365 Day Guide to Prayer and Miracles" by Bill Johnson
• "Living Prayer" by Robert Benson.

Can you tell that I'm curled up and settling in for a quiet afternoon? And that I was at the library this morning? There are lit candles all around my bedroom, trying to cut the drafty nature of a bedroom at the back of the house with two outside walls. And, if you know any of these books that I listed, you'll know that I'm mostly curling up with poetry.

But, for the moment, I'm going to flip through some magazines while I watch an episode or two of Joan of Arcadia.