[Daily Meditations] 1/28/2026:A Poem for Renee and Alex

Published: Wed, 01/28/26

Updated: Thu, 01/29/26

The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers

Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox

A Poem for Renee and Alex

By Gianluigi Gugliermetto

1/28/2026

I am broken by the beauty of the world
by pain exploding in the midst of life
and by the sheer goodness of the people
marching and singing.

It seems wrong that I see the blood poured out,
that of Renee Good and Alex Pretti,
as something beautiful when it is yet warm
glaring and shining.

The blood of the innumerable Abels
for all eternity cries out from ground,
yet on the snow it weaves a living tapestry,
shouting and speaking.

“‘Blood Flowers’ for Alex’s
beautiful spirit and the life
blood that flows red in all
beings. For the compassion
that blooms from suffering.”
A painting by Hilary Peirce,
artist and Buddhist.
Used with permission.

I think I cracked the code of Jesus,
who was so badly killed by agents of the state,
and then some people saw his death as good.

It is a really dull frame of mind what happened,
a very illogical way of thinking,
to see beauty in the utmost suffering,
a work of art in death and destruction.

It is so wrong — I think —
and yet that’s what I feel:
that interrupted lives
wrecked projects, joys killed,
hopes maimed in one,
are seeds of life for many.

Renee and Alex: your lives were works of art
which no bullet ever can destroy;
we hear your gentle voice, that sap of yours
is running through our veins.

“Renee Good, approximately 26 seconds before
the shooting.” From ICE agents cellphone video
of her killing. Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

“Portrait photo of Alex Pretti” from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.

Banner image: Items left at the site of Alex Pretti’s murder by ICE agents in Minneapolis. Photo by Darth Stabro on Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.

Queries for Contemplation

Have you ever written poetry as a spiritual practice? How helpful do you find it?

Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, or read other comments and enter into dialogue, please click HERE to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field.

Related Reading by Matthew Fox

Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ.

Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet.

Prayer: A Radical Response to Life

A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice.

Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society

Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth.

Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision For a New Generation, Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox.

Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality.

Books and More by Matthew and Friends!

Be sure to check out Matthew's new store at MatthewFox.org, now offering books, recorded courses old and new, and special events... and don't miss our growing collection of books endorsed by Matthew on Bookshop.org!

CREATION SPIRITUALITY CONVERSATIONS

Podcaster Jon Wilson speaks with Matthew Fox about Creation Spirituality: how Matthew became a Dominican priest; his studies in Paris, Original Blessing versus the Fall-Redemption tradition; the Four Paths; mystics Meister Eckhart, Carl Jung, and Otto Rank; Eros, ritual and how ‘this is wisdom to love life’. Listen HERE.

UPCOMING EVENTS

See Matthew Fox's full calendar HERE

Join Matthew Fox in a free 4-session Online Lecture/Discussion/Q&A event, “Creation Spirituality and the Celebrating & Healing of Mother Earth & Ourselves,” co-presented by the Episcopal Diocese of Wisconsin and Matthew Fox Legacy Project.

Wednesdays, January 14, 21,28, February 4, 2026, 4:00pm-5:30pm PT

January 14 - Creation as an Original Blessing and the Springboard of Awe and Wonder

January 21 - Sacred Mother Earth: The Holiness of Creation and Recovering the Cosmic Christ

January 28 - The Cosmic Mass, and the Stations of the Cosmic Christ: Reinvigorating Liturgy and Rituals

February 4 - Jesus as a Teacher of Democracy and the Renewal of Education and Values through the “10 Cs”

MONTHLY: Join Matthew Fox and Skylar Wilson of the Order of the Sacred Earth in a free virtual meeting for connection and networking with other mystic warriors. Last Tuesday of every month, 4:00-5:00pm PT.
Join Zoom Meeting HERE, Meeting ID: 886 6530 2478

Learn more at www.orderofthesacredearth.org

Awakening the Divine Human: An Immersion in the Living Wisdom of Creation Spirituality

…a week-long retreat in Sardinia, Italy, May 25-30, 2026

Join us on the sacred island of Sardinia for a deeply immersive 6-day retreat rooted in the teachings of Matthew Fox, C.G. Jung, and the ancient wisdom of the land. Set along the turquoise shores and among the Neolithic sites of this timeless Mediterranean island, this retreat invites you into a transformative journey of reconnection—with Earth, Self, Gender, and the Divine. Learn more HERE.

View this post, video, and more on our website

Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox is made possible through the generosity of donors.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation. Thank you!

Inspired by this post? Share your insights on BlueSky, Instagram, Universeodon, or Facebook using the hashtag #RevDrMatthewFox and tag Matt with @RevDrMatthewFox

FOLLOW MATTHEW FOX:

Did you receive this email from a friend?
You can subscribe to our daily meditations via the opt-in box on the sidebar at DailyMeditationsWithMatthewFox.org

PO BOX 424533
San Francisco CA 94142
US

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options