Lucille Clifton (1936–2010)
blessing the boats
(at St. Mary's)
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
Lucille Clifton (1936–2010) was an American poet and children's book author whose work garnered many awards. When she was awarded the Ruth Lilly prize in 2007, one of the judges said, “One always feels the looming humaneness around Lucille Clifton’s poems — it is a moral quality that some poets have and some don’t.” This poem comes from Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988–2000 (BOA Editions Ltd., 2000).
Selected by Amy Frykholm: amy@journeywithjesus.net
