Network Of Humanity Poem by DEEPAK KUMAR PATTANAYAK

Network of Humanity
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When I looked at images of St Kevin
I saw a blackbird sitting on his open
Hand as if perennially settled
And so cordially stretched out is his hand
Seemingly looked to host
A feathered guest in his hand as a pretty nest
And the blackbird finding the soft palm
Was looking unruffled, serene and calm
Being curious I looked around and around
Saw a man not unlike me curiously looking at his hand
Asked him “what is this all about”
Told me a less known story of humanity at its best
That during the season of Lent
St Kevin of Glendalough used to retreat
To a small cell to read and pray
And the cell was too small for his arms to sway
One day with arms outstretched and so immersed in prayer
His right arm poked out of window unaware
Then a blackbird came and nestled
In the palm of his hand
Then she built a nest and laid an egg there
Realising that the nest and egg were
In his hand, St Kevin moved not an inch away
Until the egg hatched and the fledgling flown away
Such is the story of humanity and grace
That towards a fragile egg and a tiny bird, St Kevin displays great tenderness
Thus to perpetuate the memory of this compassionate act
All images of St Kevin bear a blackbird sitting on his open hand like a nest
Amazing it is and elicits but one response
That “that just can’t be true” and carries no sense
But this is not so much meant ‘to be true’ as to ‘show Truth’
For the act of humanity is beauty and ‘all-powerful Truth’
Not just his voice and thoughts turned dove
St Kevin’s entire body became a prayer of love
That glorified the holiness of God
And His creation in an ordinary blackbird
In fact we are all linked to one another
Not only human to human, but human to all creatures
Thus when something lands in our hand, our lap, or our life, our world
We should open ourselves to being challenged, taught, and transformed
So that our virtue, valour, and wit
May to Humanity as Truth submit