Thursday, December 27, 2007

"The Sidewalk on a Sunny Day" - a poem by Ted

I'm walking down the sidewalk in the sun,
And take another step, and stop, and then
Go back one step, to the same place, but now
That place has gone. I never can go back.

And all this sunshine here and in the sky—
A trillion, trillion blazing rays of warmth
Each second — and that second now has passed,
And all that power has left the universe.
The endpoint of the sun is closer now.
This sunny day then, so alive right now,
Is joining millions of past sunny days
In the black darkness of forgottenness.

The past is dead except in memories.
The steps since I began to take this walk
Could just as well have never taken place,
Except that I can still remember them.
But memories will decompose as well.

So many generations now have walked
Where I am walking, here on this sidewalk.
And could they just as well have never been?
That's why I sometimes hope that I won't die,
And that the world will end within my time.
I hate the prospect of forgottenness.

But then there's one thing I'm reminded of:
The memory of God remains perfect.
Creation, Cross, and the first cry at birth
Of every person ever in the world
Could just as well have taken place today.
To Him this quiet sidewalk's bustling with
Excited chattering and laughter of
Pedestrians who now are only dust.

The things we do eventually count
(Except the things the Sacrifice erased)
Although, for some, millennia now have passed.
the principles of time there will be changed,
And opportunities will never pass
Because the Source of day is infinite.
ar TORONTO, CANADA | 2023+

APRIL


MAY

27 Sat (1) 11am Commencement speaker at R. University, (2) ~3pm+ time w/ V/AR+
29 Mon (1) 9:30am VT prayer, (2) 3pm mtg DerCh - Mississauga
30 Tue (1) 10am ph call (AA), (2) 5:30pm video mtg (IsTan), (3) 8pm neighbourhood prayer mtg

JUNE
1 Thu (1) 11:30am Zoom mtg (LM), (2) 4pm mtg (VS,KBr)
2 Fri (1) 10:30am ph call (PVDW; SL w/ boys; ~J working)
3 Sat SL w/ boys and MG
5 Mon (1) 9:30am VT prayer mtg, (2) 2pm Europe call, (3) 5pm mtg/walk (YM)
6 Tue (1) 11:30am lunch (GD) - St. Jacobs, (2) 4pm mtg (AF) - Cambridge, (3) 7:30pm worship night
9 Fri ~J's b'day
10 Sat North Bay trip
13 Tue 11am mtg (DAy) (~J school trip w/ ~Co | text BD)
14 Wed 9:30am time w/ BD
15 Thu 4:30pm video mtg (Paul T.)
16 Fri (1) 9am video med appt, (2) 15-km run (Prayer Journey "warm-up")
17 Sat Prayer Journey (my own: 50km GTA bike-ride; Jessie's: 5KM) and speaking at GTA after-party
23-25 Fri-Sat poss. SL
26 Mon 2pm Europe monthly call
29 ... July 7 Thu-Fri poss. holiday in Arkansas

JULY
... 7 Thu-Fri poss. holiday in Arkansas
~8-17 SA+ in Toronto; P/H Bell likely visiting too
15 Sat aft+ baptism (Saj; NaB may be coming)
17-21 Mon-Fri Kids Kapers camp
24 Mon 2:45pm med. appt
26 Wed (1) 11am video mtg (SM), (2) 3pm Zoom mtg (SMa,SB), (3) 7pm ~J speaking at Greenhouse/Zoe - UofT downtown
27 Thu 10am video MVT board mtg
31 Mon 3:05pm med. appt
July/Aug CCWM board mtg / AGM

AUGUST
2 Wed 11am video mtg (SM+)
6-12 Sun-Fri Cottage w/ O/DN+ and UB/AC - Windermere; plus Muskoka
19 Sat poss. ~J fam beach day - Brighton area
25-29 Fri-Tue MoveIn staff retreat - southern Ontario

2023+
Sep 21 Thu - MVT board mtg
Sep 23 Sat poss. date of GV memorial
Sep 24 Sun ~Ch's b'day
Sep ~26-28 Poss. time in Lushnjë, Albania
Sep 29 - Oct 6 MoveIn Europe Conference+ - Durrës, Albania
Oct 21 Sat poss./unlikely date of GV memorial
Oct 21-27 Dollar-a-Day week
Early Nov Poss. fundraising event - Niagara
Nov-Jan Poss. time in India - Goa; Philippines - Manila+; Indonesia - Jakarta/Bali; LA/San Diego