Psalm 23

with Callie Feyen

Hello, Poetry Friend

I’ve been looking forward to this day for a while, although I didn’t know exactly when it would come—the day Callie Feyen posted her poem inspired by Psalm 23.

She and I have been poeming the Psalms together for more than a year now, sharing our work with each other. In the spirit of friendship, here’s mine:

Psalm 23
 
The Lord is my pianist, and I will sing.
        	He raises his shoulders to remind me to breathe.
He breaks apart chords to steady my rhythm.
        	He plays unnecessary notes for sheer beauty,
shifts keys with ease.
 
Even though my mind wanders where it shouldn’t
        	I don’t worry
for You play on—
        	Your left hand, Your right hand
pull me through song into song.
 
You prepare knowing
        	where I will falter.
You signal me with Your eyes;
        	my sound cascades.
Surely we will make music
        	together another day
and part of me will always be here, beside Your piano,
        	long after the service ends.

–Megan Willome

If you’ve ever thought about poeming a Psalm, Psalm 23 is either the easiest or hardest place to start. But start, you must: only begin.

P.S. The photo is of me cantoring at St. Mary’s, beside the beautiful piano, last Christmas Day. I was working with one of my favorite people, a young woman named Lindsey Ashman, who is both playing and singing to a mashup of “What Child Is This” and “Child of the Poor.” I’m lead and she’s harmony.

Happy poeming!

Megan