canticle 148

shout!
shout to God 
from the farthest galaxies
to snow-capped peaks!
let it rip, bass note singing frogs;
twitter away, birds at the feeders!
sun and moon in eclipses' embrace;
bright stars in brittle skies, echo the songs!
sing out loud, clouds drifting across the sky;
join in the refrain, whitewater rapids!
everyone, everything, everywhere, 
join in the choruses composed 
to honor Imagination's heart!
God turned emptiness into wonder,
building bridges across rivers,
tearing down walls of resistance.
everyone, everything, everywhere,
shout from the rooftops, the sea floors,
the blistering beaches, the silent forests -
grizzly bears and giant squids,
campfires and snow families, 
soft gentle breezes and window rattling gusts
all telling of God's delight!
sure-footed mountain goats, orange groves,
cocoa bean plants, ornament bearing trees;
kittens tiptoeing after sunbeams,
sheep offering their wool for warmth,
tortoises seeing the finish live,
and puffins bobbing in the seas!
know-it-alls and students fretting over exams,
teachers and tellers, buyers and seller;
babies holding on to grandparents' pinkies,
little girls dancing with their feet on their dads!
planets and parrots, sea lions and sparrows,
the voiceless and those with perfect pitch,
the wise, the wealthy, the needy, the foolish,
let all join hands and hearts, hopes and dreams,
speaking with fingers and sighing in the silence,
for no one has a monopoly
on telling God of our great love.

Shout!

(c) 2019 Thom M. Shuman