You see things in front of us:
The little big things that fill our lives,
Yet you dream of different ways of being
That we will never live to see.
You are the eyes that see and dream,
For you can pluck the voice of God
Even from the muffled voice of time
That robs us of holy moments,
Lost in the round of work, love, and death.
You are the eyes that can see and dream
An olive branch on the hilt of a sword.
While we stand in a field of thistles
And sunflowers, your restless spirit
Roams among the stars at night:
You are the eyes that see and dream.
About the Poem
As an avowed Protestant fundamentalist for most of my life, I never thought I would ever write a poem about Pope Francis. But after I read a post by a friend of mine who was invited to the conference on the theme, “The Global Aesthetics of the Catholic Imagination,” and also met Pope Francis, I was humbled to write this found poem.
About the Author
Geoffrey Philp, a Silver Musgrave Medal recipient, is the author of “Archipelagos,” a collection of poems about climate change. Philp’s poem, “A Prayer for My Children,” is featured on The Poetry Rail–an homage to 12 writers that shaped Miami culture. He is working on a graphic novel for children, “My Name is Marcus.”