May 2026 – Jane Tawel

That I Should Have No Words

By Jane Tawel

I have no words to speak of You,

And yet, I am a member of the tribe of Word-seekers.

The other tribes — of birds, and beasts,

of seas and trees, and rocks —

Do not seek words for what they know,

for what they know lies deeper than facts or pictures.

Our symbol-speech makes us gloriously, fragilely human,

Greater than angels,

and smaller than stones.

And yet even the “rocks would cry out”

in awe, and praise, and wonder —

If in this time of tribal tribulation,

and lack of mythic Truths,

my own created, creative Tribe of poetry and prose

should in the limited vocabulary of our death-throes,

be forever silenced.

Will we be then quite silenced

because of our surrendered, suicidal demise?

Or will we wordless bow,

finally, eternally in speechless, stunned and stilled-struck Awe?

Oh, there are times I wish I had no words,

in mind, or mouth, or dreams.

Oh, to be a rock, a puddle, or a tree!

And to hold within my very wordless being,

The Being-ness of Thee.