a poetic lecture response

This is a response Susan gave to a lecture on liturgy at an event at Lutheran School of Theology, January 28, 2004.  The speaker was then Bishop Reverend Robert Alan Rimbo, who spoke about "The End is the Beginning."   This poem is unique as not only did Susan NOT do a typical response critiquing or praising points made, she stunned everyone in her style of delivery.  She had a typical response prepared, but the night before abandoned that and wrote this poem instead:

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eh-yeh-asher-eh-yeh
the Holy Name of God
it is breath
it is heartbeat
it is life (tie a rope to my leg)
it is holiness beyond imagining
we step into sacred space
(hold my rope, hold tight!)
we step into sacred space
a circle of breath
around holiness
eh-yeh-asher-eh-yeh
take off your shoes
shall we not also breathe?
eh-yeh-asher-eh-yeh
so we sing
gathered
centered
the song breathes
center to center
deep to deep
pound of heart
breathing in holiness
breathing out wholeness
pound of heart
soar of souls
pulsing pulsing
eh-yeh-asher-eh-yeh
the center sings
and soon all songs
are in the center
and soon all centers
are songing songing
and look behold!
the center holds
the Holy Name
pulsing breathing
lives in these bodies
of the circle
and look behold!
The center pushes
and look behold
the walls are bowing
the walls are bōwing
the plaster cracking
the laths are snapping
the bricks are bending
and the center
and the song
burst out
into a startled starving world
and each heart is beating
eh-yeh-asher-eh-yeh
and every step
is breathing.
eh-yeh-asher-eh-yeh

Susan Palo Cherwien
January 28, 2004