heavenliness

Real spring weather -- these are the precise days when everything changes. All the trees are fast beginning to be in leaf, and the first green freshness of a new summer is all over the hills. Irreplaceable purity of these few days ...

Mixture of heavenliness and anguish. Seeing "heavenliness" suddenly for instance, in the pure white of the mature dogwood blossoms against the dark evergreens in the cloudy garden. "Heavenliness" too of the song of the unknown bird that is perhaps here only for these days, passing through, a lovely, deep, simple song. Pure -- no pathos, no statement, no desire, pure heavenly sound.

-- Thomas Merton Dancing in the Water of Life