This Poem by Lucille Clifton Reminds Us That Change is Inevitable
When you look at nature, you can see how life is always propelling you forward—even when it doesn't seem that way.
Unlock this article and bundle up with Outside+.
Already have an Outside Account? Sign in
40% Off Holiday Sale, Ends Nov. 28
$4.99 $2.99 / month*
Get the one subscription to fuel all your adventures.
- Map your next adventure with our premium GPS apps: Gaia GPS Premium and Trailforks Pro.
- Read unlimited digital content from 15+ brands, including Outside Magazine, Triathlete, Ski, Trail Runner, and VeloNews.
- Watch 600+ hours of endurance challenges, cycling and skiing action, and travel documentaries.
- Learn from the pros with expert-led online courses.
*Outside memberships are billed annually. You may cancel your membership at anytime, but no refunds will be issued for payments already made. Upon cancellation, you will have access to your membership through the end of your paid year. More Details
blessing the boats
(at St. Mary’s)
by Lucille Clifton
may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back may you
open your eyes to water
water waving forever
and may you in your innocence
sail through this to that
The poem conveys this sense that we’re being held and supported by the elements. When I read this, I’m thinking about the tides that I am moving through—this undulation of energy that is constantly flowing through me. My father is in hospice, and it’s my first time experiencing the anticipation of loss. As my family and I witness his life fade, the waves are immense and profound. There’s grief. There’s joy and sadness. There are memories of a life lived beautifully. I am witnessing it all knowing that we’ll move through this to arrive at that, whatever that will be.
We must learn to be in harmony with the water, to be sensitive to the language of water. To trust in the bigger forces around and beyond us—this ebb and flow of energy—so that we can always feel the water that is waving forever, the wind that is gently propelling us forward. Even if it’s forceful wind, there’s still love in it. The wind carries you somewhere new and fresh; it stirs up change.
And I love Clifton’s phrase “the lip of our understanding.” There is something beyond our understanding still yet for us to discover if we allow ourselves to be carried further, carried out. The “lip” is the exploration of our growing edge. It’s not necessarily a razor’s edge—it’s a compassionate edge, a sweet edge, an edge to be kissed.
—Pilin Anice, E-RYT 500, guides students of all ages through breath-centered, inquiry-based offerings that seek to harmonize the mind, body, and spirit. Anice is a Howard University alumna, MIRROR trainer, Kripalu faculty member, lululemon ambassador, and teacher at the Ailey Extension in New York.
