This is one of my favorite poems by Hildegard von Bingen, a christian mystic and intensely creative polymath, skilled as an herbalist, poet, author, visionary, painter and composer. She was one of the first poet seers I came across and her work constantly challenges me to see with the eyes of my heart. My interest in Hildegard began when I bought a CD of her “Canticles of Ecstasy” and found that her music lights up my insides in so many different ways. The poem below is one that has been a prayer in my heart for the past three years. It is an anthem of hope and redemption in the light of God.
Holy Spirit giving life to all life,
moving all creatures,
root of all things,
washing them clean,
wiping out their mistakes,
healing their wounds,
you are our true life, luminous, wonderful,
awakening the heart from its ancient sleep.-Hildegard von Bingen