Summer and Poetry: Reflections of a Roman Catholic Woman Priest

Summer Musings

Summer is a time for something different. The breezes blow, the sun shines, sometimes way too hot, and the rain falls, usually gently and refreshes the day. Here in Florida, summer is much longer, yet it also passes from us quickly as the years go by. It is often a free time for those who are students or teachers in academia. As a Professor of many years, and a student as well, I learned to cherish and love summer. Though my academic days are over, and my “pastoring” work and duties are never over, I still love summer. So I thought I would present a different kind of writing here: poetry–my own and that of others. There is a fleeting sometimes startling beauty in poetry, like that of summer. We must grasp it gently and firmly, or it is gone too soon.

The following poems are from my book The Flame Keeper and Other Poems, Judith A.B.Lee, PublishAmerica, Baltimore, 2007). It is out of print now and I will be sharing some of the poems on this blog this summer. The first poem is about keeping the flame of relationships alive over time. Relationships are precious. They change over time but do not lose their original shine in our lives. We are charged with keeping the flame alive.

May we all work at being flame keepers so cherished people in our lives are not forgotten or lost. Be the first one to mend any rifts-. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” asked Cain of God in Genesis 4:10. Indeed he was, and indeed we are charged to care lovingly for our brothers and sisters-all of them, ALL of them. People of all cultures, colors, incomes, sexual orientations and identifications, languages, politics, persuasions, and appearances. God loves all people deeply and fully, and we, too, are to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 29:39-40).

Welcome to Summer Dear Friends

This one was written in my twenties and that is a long time ago. Yet, I remember every exhilarating minute of these bike rides near Canarsie Bay in Brooklyn, New York. And now I cherish my trips to Fort Myers Beach only 20 minutes away where I can experience this joy all year, but especially in summer.

The picture below is at Coney Island, in Brooklyn, New York…always my home.

My Coney Island

HAPPY SUMMER To ALL,

Bless you and keep you,

Pastor Judy Lee, RCWP

Rev. Dr. Judith Lee, Good Shepherd Ministries- Fort Myers, Florida

June 16, 2023