A Light Breather

The spirit moves,
Yet stays:
Stirs as a blossom stirs,
Still wet from its bud-sheath,
Slowly unfolding,
Turning in the light with its tendrils;
Plays as a minnow plays,
Tethered to a limp weed, swinging,
Tail around, nosing in and out of the current,
Its shadows loose, a watery finger;
Moves, like the snail,
Still inward,
Taking and embracing its surroundings,
Never wishing itself away,
Unafraid of what it is,
A music in a hood,
A small thing,
Singing.

—Theodore Roethke—
—from The Waking—

No, it's a warm feeling - - kind of like a hot flash.

I'm not sure what a spirit is. Is it just a feeling or something else? Before joining the Mormon church I thought a spirit was kind of like a ghost, but the Mormon church told me it was a warm feeling.

Mormons like to point out when "the spirit" is present. They say things like, "the spirit is really strong in the room," or "I can really feel the spirit."

Darn it, heartbroken. I wanted to answer you with a poem but the few that came to mind didn’t quite fit.

I will say, even as a fully believing Mormon, whenever I heard “the spirit is strong in the room” I could not help but feel this to be an irony, often unintended. This was especially true in Elders Quorum meetings, where spirit for anything was the most palpable collective fact in the room.

"There are times when her Spirit goes braless."

you fit into me
like a hook into an eye
 
a fish hook
an open eye

—Margaret Atwood—
—RfM Power Politics (1971]—

just kidding.

Theo is an inspiration to me.

The Spirit of God

Lyrics
1. The Spirit of God like a fire is burning!

The latter-day glory begins to come forth;

The visions and blessings of old are returning,

And angels are coming to visit the earth.

[Chorus]

We’ll sing and we’ll shout with the armies of heaven,
Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!

Let glory to them in the highest be given,

Henceforth and forever, Amen and amen!

2. The Lord is extending the Saints’ understanding,

Restoring their judges and all as at first.

The knowledge and power of God are expanding;

The veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst.

3. We’ll call in our solemn assemblies in spirit,

To spread forth the kingdom of heaven abroad,

That we through our faith may begin to inherit

The visions and blessings and glories of God.

4. How blessed the day when the lamb and the lion

Shall lie down together without any ire,

And Ephraim be crowned with his blessing in Zion,

As Jesus descends with his chariot of fire!

Text: William W. Phelps, 1792–1872. Sung at the Kirtland Temple dedication in 1836.

Music: Anon., ca. 1844
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/library/hymns/the-spirit-of-god?lang=eng