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It is Gregory Baum’s 90th birthday this week. Gregory Baum is the author of Karl Polanyi on Ethics and Economics and Nationalism, Religion, and Ethics.
Gregory Baum at 90
Forced from his home
He never seemed to weep of loss
But always found
A workable belonging,
Expecting ever to be heard and liked
Because originary love –
God’s in a mother’s –
Kept the abyss of fear away,
Sustaining his élan
For traverse of four tongues
And more forms of life
Than I can tell.
Yet with these riches
And his workable belonging
He always was apart as well,
Remembering, I surmise, his kin
Exterminated for a Name.
He never could rest
With knowledge of the self,
But must be a voice
Of the silent dead
And silent warriors.
A journeyman voice,
He always said,
For the faith and justice
Workers of this lovely world
Besmirched by greed
And carelessness.
He spoke to me once
So bodily brought low
All he could do
Was lie in a darkened room
And say the Jesus prayer –
Son of David
Have mercy on me.
Now I hear the Lord
Has asked him to drop by
Three times a week
For a quiet chat.
Perhaps the next book
Will somehow emerge
As topic of that conversation.
Thank you Grégoire
Père et Frère
For dear long friendship,
Your witness in a darkened world,
And ever ready joy in life.
Grace and peace.
– Philip, June 13th, 2013
Happy birthday Gregory, from all of us at MQUP!
Thank you, Philip and your colleagues at MQUP for this great surprise, putting the intimate poem of another Philip on your website and wishing me well