word
i, who live by words, am
.......wordless when
i try my words in prayer. all
.......language turns
to silence. prayer will take my words
.......and then
reveal their emptiness. the stifled voice
.......learns
to hold its peace, to listen with the
.......heart
to silence that is joy, is adoration.
the self is shattered, all words torn
.......apart
in this strange pattern time of
.......contemplation
that, in time, breaks time, breaks
.......words, breaks me,
and then, in silence leaves me
.......healed and mended.
i leave returned to language, for i see
.......words are ended,
i, who live by words, am
.......wordless when
i turn me to the Word to pray.
.......amen.
[madeleine l'engle: lines scribbled on an envelope while riding the 104 bus]
[enjoy the silence. robbins]
.......wordless when
i try my words in prayer. all
.......language turns
to silence. prayer will take my words
.......and then
reveal their emptiness. the stifled voice
.......learns
to hold its peace, to listen with the
.......heart
to silence that is joy, is adoration.
the self is shattered, all words torn
.......apart
in this strange pattern time of
.......contemplation
that, in time, breaks time, breaks
.......words, breaks me,
and then, in silence leaves me
.......healed and mended.
i leave returned to language, for i see
.......words are ended,
i, who live by words, am
.......wordless when
i turn me to the Word to pray.
.......amen.
[madeleine l'engle: lines scribbled on an envelope while riding the 104 bus]
[enjoy the silence. robbins]
posted by jill m at 2:40 PM
2 Comments:
wow jill, i'm loving this poem for so many reasons that i couldn't possibly fit into this little comment box. it is a witness to the meditative qualities of prayer. i particularly enjoy it because of it's anonymous nature, it does not attach itself to a specific religion.
it is also a testament to the power of coincidence. it is always reassuring when something has been weighing on your mind for so long, with no resolution...and then suddenly you open a friends blog and the answer is layed out there for you in the most simple of terms.
Speaking of words, we haven't shared many lately. how are you?
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