The quote is from Richard Selzer, a doctor who wrote a memoir called 'Mortal Lessons.' Manning uses the quote to metaphor our own palsy in relation to our God, and how he twists his lips to kiss ours.
Wow.
"I stand by the bed where a young woman lies, her face, postoperative, her mouth twisted in palsy, clownish. A tiny twig of the facial nerve, the one to the muscles of her mouth has been severed. She will be thus from now on. The surgeon had followed with religious fervor the curve of her flesh; I promise you that. Nevertheless, to remove he tumor in her cheek, I had to cut the little nerve.
Her young husband is in the room. He stands of the opposite side of the bed and together they seem to dwell in the evening lamplight, isolated from me, private. Who are they, I ask myself, he and this wry mouth I have made, who gaze at and touch each other so generously, greedily? the young woman speaks
"Will my mouth always be like this?" she asks.
"Yes," I say, "It will. It is because the nerve was cut."
She nods and is silent. But the young man smiles.
"I like it," He says, "it is kind of cute."
All at once i know who he is. I understand and I lower my gaze. One is not bold in an encounter with God. Unmindful, he bends to kiss her crooked mouth and I am so close I can see how he twists his own lips to accommodate to hers, to show her that their kiss still works."
3 comments:
i dont know how to comment on this, but i sent it to several people. you were not alone in the shedding of tears.
ps. me likey the new flag
This is great... thank you for sharing.
Sad I'm not the corporate killer anymore! An unfitting title, I know.
i don't really have words for this other than it is definitely meant to be shared... thanks =)
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