High Country

A Local Saint's "Seeing"... One recent midwestern evening

8/14/2003

The High Country

(on seeing a summer evening sky after a thunderstorm)

For a moment, i dared to believe

that heavenly realms lay just beyond my grasp,

raging floods of light filling

vast canyons of space.

The heavens lay just beyond my grasp—

the late summer storm revealed

vast canyons of space

when it tore the veil from the sky.

The late summer storm, itself a revelation

of Something far wilder and nobler,

tore the hazy veil from the sky

to reveal a High Country almost forgotten.

It was something far wilder and nobler

than the weary world I live in,

a High Country, all but forgotten

to hearts blinded by the veil.

The weary world i live in, filled with

empty shadows, hollow eyes, and

hearts blinded by the veil,

is not my homeland.

Empty shadows, hollow eyes, and

veiled hearts plot to steal my birthright.

This is not my homeland and

i pledge it no allegiance.

A veiled heart will not steal my birthright.

If a storm can tear the veil, so can i.

i pledge my allegiance to

the High Country, the Kingdom within.

If a storm can tear the veil, so can

the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, ruling

the High Country, the Kingdom within.

i will fix my eyes on Realms Unseen.

For the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible—

a raging Flood of Light filling me—

i will fix my eyes on Realms Unseen

and in this moment, dare to believe.

• 
  Tasting the Powers of the Coming Age