In God Makes the Rivers to Flow; An Anthology of the World’s Sacred Poetry & Prose, Eknath Easwaran includes a selection from Mechtild of Magdeburg entitled “Lord, I Bring Thee My Treasure.”  I’ve written the following poem-like reflections inspired by this selection.

My Heart’s Desire

Lord, I bring Thee my treasure!

It is greater than the mountains,

Wider than the world,

Deeper than the sea,

Higher than the clouds,

More glorious than the sun,

More manifold than the stars;

It outweighs the whole earth.

—Mechthild of Magdeburg

My heart’s desire is sweeter than sugar,

kinder than an elephant,

wiser than an owl,

hungrier than a lion.

I want to be more, do more, love more, know more.

I choose to be more, do more, love more, know more.

I long for you as an infant longs for her mother’s milk.

I long for a deeper connection.

I long for my heart to be tied to yours.

You Beloved, are all there is to me.

And yet, I believe in the distance between us.

I look at you as something other than myself.

Even though I know that is not true.

You are my kiss.

You are my breath.

You are the blood in my veins.

You are the light in my eyes.

You are the desire of my heart.

I ache with that desire.

I ache for the healing of this wound of separation.

I ache for the illusion to be dispelled.

There is consciousness of wanting, of there never being enough.

There is this consciousness of needing what I do not have.

Where is the consciousness of knowing we are one?

Where is the consciousness of knowing I am divine?

Where is the consciousness of knowing I have everything in you?

Where is the consciousness of knowing there can be no distance between us?

You are my belonging.

You are my being.

You are my self.

You are my longing.

You are my love.

You are my hope.

You are my treasure.

I give you my heart.

I give you my life.

I give you all that I have.

Take me into your chamber.

Swallow me in your embrace.