Poem that spoke to me

This book called Indelible Ink is so wonderful--it asks 22 Prominent Christian Leaders to discuss the books (other than the Bible) that shaped their lives. It is so good that I keep wanting to put it down to go read the recommended books! Near the back it also lists tons of other books that have inspired others.
Here is a poem in this book that is written in Luci N. Shaw's discussion:


"At West Beach, Lummi Island"



My boots crunch down the slope, clamber over
the bleached bones of trees. I conquer a tide of pebbles;
at wave edge I stoop and finger one, another,


fondling their flecks and facets, their skin soft as peaches.
Their colors burn my retina. Uninvited words leap into my throat.
I am astonished; from what pleat of brain tissue did they spring?


Schist, agate, gneiss, shale, scree, granite, quartz--they use
my lips to utter their abrasive syllables. God is in these
crystalline names, in the mineral click, the stony rattle


of gravel under the scrolling breakers. God speaks the language
of stones. I am a polished stone myself, and he is speaking
my name. With every ripple, every spit of rain that wets a pebble


into its real color, he tells me, I am washing you with salt,
I am grinding you smooth to my touch. With rain I caress
your oval shape, your apricot silk, and show you your true self."


I like that analogy--it makes me think of the polished rocks we brought home from the lake in Montana--now I will look at them as signifying a lesson for my life ;-).