A poem by Claire Carruthers.
Claire Carruthers lived at Ripon College Cuddesdon while her spouse trained for ordained ministry from 2015-17. The poem below was written following a bible study, as Claire reflected on the works of Thomas Keating and Cynthia Bourgeault in relation to nuance and mystery in biblical interpretation. The image of the Nautilus shell came to her: “so accepting of everything, and not judging anything. It has helped me going forward to cope with the times like that and also when I feel so far behind in my spiritual journey. So I offer it to you!”
Nautilus Shell
Old Ken woke at sunrise
on winter mornings to
collect nautilus shells
before the seagulls
tore them apart.
I was transfixed
by his rows of shells:
each one utterly perfect
and completely whole
whether large or very tiny.
The growing nautilus
creates new chambers to move into
whilst retaining earlier ones.
At every moment and at
any time, it remains
completely, mathematically whole –
whether a simple coil
or a multi-layered ancient.
And none of its work is
ever lost; long vacated chambers
exist as beautiful
logarithmic spirals within its
pearlescent heart, always
part of the whole, always completing the pattern.
And it is so with our own inner work –
whether we are a many-whorled ancient or
just starting out.
Our present growing, along with every chamber
from which we have
expanded, forms part of an
organically perfect whole
that is at every moment
and at any time, always
complete.
