Hildegard gets a Mention in the Good Oil

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September 2019

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Hildegard of Bingen: A Poetic Journey

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Photo by Tobias Tullius on Unsplash

Hildegard puts us in touch with ecology and a sense of wonder. Her visionary theology is both grand and utterly intimate, writes Colleen Keating. 

Colleen Keating has recently published a new book of poetry, Hildegard of Bingen: A Poetic Journey, which tells Hildegard’s story in 100 poems.

“Committing to ecological conversion” stands as one of the four areas of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan Statement of Directions. This collection of poetry explores Hildegard’s notion of viriditas – the greening – and the call to discover the interconnectedness of all life.

Below is an extract from her book.

 

It is around 1153.

Hildegard sits in the scriptorium with her scribe the monk Volmar and Sister Clara.

 Fiery Light of Writing

A Cosmic web of Creation

wings into Hildegard’s mind

her hand covers her heart

to cradle its ache for expression.

She breathes into the light.

All one,

sing the leaves of the trees outside

a choir of hosannas tremble along branches

their tracery gilded, fiery-gold against the sky.

All one

whirs each drop of water in the Nahr

as it gurgles along

to become one with the Rhine.

Eyes to the heavens,

Hildegard looks into the heart of light,

dictates to Volmar and Clara.

At times she steeples her fingers in thought

voice hardly audible,

at times she dictates from her wax tablets.

Empty parchments fill

like stars stipple across a night sky.

 

Eyes wide open she invokes,

The oneness of creation and humanity

demands justice.

We know fields will no longer yield their fruits

where human greed and injustice

have sought too quick a yield.

 

From the fertile fields of her mind,

Hildegard crafts words

to comfort, console, confront and castigate.

Under the stamp of Papal Approval

embedded in an era of superstition

her words have power.

Her strange pure tongue,

captivates Bishops and Kings,

filters through all social classes.

 

Her presence, her writings, her preaching

offers the hope of change,

a chance to make sense of the world.

 

 

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German literature scholar,

Dr Gisela Nittel will launch the book

on Sunday 13, October 2019

at the Sydney Writers Centre, Balmain, NSW.

All are welcome.

For more information: touchstoneten@gmail.com

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Hildegard of Bingen: A Poetic Journey, visit www.ginninderrapress.com.au

Colleen Keating

Colleen Keating is a Sydney-based poet and writer. Through her work she “explores the paradox and wonder of nature, the harsh realities of life, of inequality, injustice and increasing threat to our natural environment”. In November 2017 Colleen published her second book of poetry, “Fire on Water” (Ginninderra Press), which recently won a silver Nautilus Book Award. Colleen’s website is colleenkeatingpoet.com

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