Hidden

Hidden

Even the shadow of God is brilliant, 
so much so that God has trouble looking 
at Himself 
unless He is more disguised,
hidden as He can be in us. 

          Today Maya Angelou passed away at the age of 86. She was a marvelous poet, remembered the world over for her touching poetry, poetry that spoke to the soul and deepened the spirit. And like all revered poets, she attempted to address the big questions, what does it mean to love? To live? To have regret? To express forgiveness? The stanza below is the last stanza in When Great Trees Fall, the last poem in Angelou’s, I Shall Not Be Moved:

And when great souls die,

after a period peace blooms,

slowly and always

irregularly. Spaces fill

with a kind of

soothing electric vibration.

Our senses, restored, never

to be the same, whisper to us.

They existed. They existed.

We can be. Be and be

better. For they existed.

      So what happens when great souls die? It's safe to say Angelou already knew the answer, we are better because they existed. Like many others on the internet tonight, I have selected my favorite five quotes by her: 

• “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” 
• “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” 
• “A friend may be waiting behind a stranger's face.” 
• “I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.”  
• “The ship of my life may or may not be sailing on calm and amiable seas. The challenging days of my existence may or may not be bright and promising. Stormy or sunny days, glorious or lonely nights, I maintain an attitude of gratitude. If I insist on being pessimistic, there is always tomorrow. Today I am blessed.” 

"The world knows her as a poet but at the heart of her, she was a teacher. 'When you learn, teach. When you get, give.' is one of my best lessons from her." - Oprah Winfrey