Words in the Wind

May 4, 2009 | 21 comments

Past fields dressed for spring, I drive through my Iowa.
Farmers wake Earth for the planting
where life has always begun:
In the dirt.

I drive down long roads,
between fields,
between perfect squares of an earthen quilt
and at the quilt’s springtime seams, I see
a harvest has already begun.
Just there, at the fabric’s edge,
a harvest in the spring.


In Iowa, this harvest goes round and round
Turn, turn, turn …
For everything there is a season, and in the wind, the harvest is unending.
Harnessing wind for power, blades sweep the air,
seven stories high
on steel towers rising up from dirt
to catch the breath of God.

I catch my breath.
Spirit awakens in me, in the meeting of the harvest and the spring,
where dirt and breath intertwine.
For I am made of both.
I stop at field’s edge
and step onto life-giving dirt to hear it: Life-giving breath.
Genesis power on an Iowa field.
Giant pinwheels
moved
by breath of God.

“The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” — Genesis 2:7

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” — John 3:8

Photos: Wind turbines spinning a harvest somewhere in Buena Vista County, Iowa.

Part of the High Calling Blogs Random Acts of Poetry.

by | May 4, 2009 | 21 comments

21 Comments

  1. Denise

    You caught my breath! This is beautiful.

    Shalom,
    Denise

    Reply
  2. Billy Coffey

    “…steel towers rising up from dirt to catch the breath of God.”

    That is an amazing line.

    And now I have to add poetry to the long list of your talents. That was absolutely wonderful, Jennifer. You bless me.

    Reply
  3. Red Letter Believers

    I have never made the connection between those blasted turbines and Ecclesiastes! Well done 🙂

    David
    http://www.redletterbelievers.com

    Reply
  4. mom2six

    …in the wind, the harvest is unending…Touched by these words in relation to John 3:8. In Him, the harvest is unending. Soaking it in…lovely!

    Reply
  5. Groovy Mom

    Very nice. We traveled through Iowa a couple weeks ago; it was a nice drive. Lovely words and photos.

    Reply
  6. Angie Vik

    This was really nice. I am fascinated with wind turbines. Something man made, using what God made. I’m amazed at your steady stream of profound posts.

    Reply
  7. Julie

    Beautiful! I really needed to hear these words this morning to remind me of whose I am. Thank you…

    “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” — John 3:8

    Reply
  8. christy rose

    Wow! Loved this post. It almost feels like a continuation of a post I wrote a couple of days ago called “the miracle of being born (again).” I used John 3:3-7,and 16. You can’t see the Spirit of God in us but you can definitely see the effects of Him in our lives.

    Captivating post!

    Reply
  9. Chris Godfredsen

    I am blessed by what God allows you to see, hear and feel.

    “I catch my breath. Spirit awakens in me, in the meeting of the harvest and the spring, where dirt and breath intertwine. For I am made of both.”

    Never thought of that – that I came from the dirt and live on His breath!

    Wonderful post from a true Iowa farm girl!

    Reply
  10. Chris Godfredsen

    I am blessed by what God allows you to see, hear and feel.

    “I catch my breath. Spirit awakens in me, in the meeting of the harvest and the spring, where dirt and breath intertwine. For I am made of both.”

    Never thought of that – that I came from the dirt and live on His breath!

    Wonderful post from a true Iowa farm girl!

    Reply
  11. janelle

    Cool Jennifer. I usually just drive by them and wonder if that “part” was on the truck that just about forced me off the road because it was so big. Now, I can have thoughts of eternal value!

    Reply
  12. dadtalk

    This is my first visit to your blog. I am stuck by the simplicity of God’s profound truth. I once found myself in the middle of a busy Houston mall so immersed in His love that there was nothing but the two of us, God and me, there. All the people around me and it was His breath I wanted to breathe. Until we reach that moment when we realize with each breath we take in His Holy Spirit and without Him we would truly die, we never really know Him. Keep meditating on Him, greater truths than this are yet to be revealed.

    Blessings
    Dave
    hppt://dadtalk.worpress.com

    Reply
  13. sharilyn

    hmmmm. very peaceful poem… though full of activity and birth.

    i especially liked the line “…where life has always begun: In the dirt.” for that is where we began as well…formed of dirt and breath of God bringing us to life!

    Reply
  14. lynnrush

    Awesome! Love this.

    Reply
  15. Hope42Day

    I love this. How wonderful that amidst the dirt is also hope in the breath of God.

    Reply
  16. Charity Singleton

    I love the idea of a Spring harvest and that we are made of both dirt and wind. Absolutely beautiful.

    Reply
  17. Jennifer

    Thank you all for your encouragement.

    Groovy Mom — Traveling through Iowa, eh? Stop by next time. 😉

    Christy Rose — I’ll be over shortly to see your take on these verses.

    Janelle — Drive with caution, girl. We don’t want this phase of your life to end too abruptly, due to an encounter with a turbine blade. 😉

    dadtalk — Welcome. I’ll be venturing into your neck of the woods in a bit. And thank you for your advice. God always has something new to show us, doesn’t He?

    Reply
  18. Lori

    Amen! and Amen!
    Lori

    Reply
  19. Monica

    Jennifer, you GOT me with this one!
    “For I am made of both.”
    “Genesis power…”
    This made my day.
    Bless you,
    Monica

    Reply
  20. L.L. Barkat

    Love it.

    And this phrase in particular…

    on steel towers rising up from dirt
    to catch the breath of God.

    Reply
  21. sojourner

    hi! i'm just rambling around enjoying the RAP offerings for this week – i enjoyed this poem because i recently passed through a field of windmills while travelling a couple of weeks ago – i was mesmurized (<—spell check please)i particularly liked this: "and at the quilt's springtime seams" – I couldn't wait to see what you had seen :0)

    Reply

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