It is time, said a friend

Yesterday was my birthday, and the very short poem I shared – Water – is the beautiful question I am currently holding.

Today, I want to share an extraordinary poem by the young poet Gideon Heugh, which opens his new book of poetry, Rumours of Light.

It feels timely.

IT IS TIME

Turn your gaze upon your soul, for it is time.

Look past the shadows, look between the light;

it has been waiting –

waiting for you to step back

from the endless undertakings,

to take your leave from the busyness of existence,

to release (let us say it) the obligations,

to realise that you are here.

Turn your gaze upon the world, for it is time.

Reach out to it, afraid or otherwise;

it has been waiting –

waiting for you to wake up,

to open your heart entirely to wonder, to beauty,

to the divine (that is, to the abundance

and generosity of reality).

Do not delay; let us bow to the surge of grace

that comes with each breath; let us embrace the gift

that is each singular and heaven-scented moment.

My friend, my good and worthy friend –

it is time.

+ Gideon Heugh, from Rumours of Light, 2021

There are so many friends to whom I want to gift this poem. You know who you are.

Yet I need to start by gifting it to myself because, as David Whyte says, we have to start close in.