Visit the Abbey of the Arts online retreat platform to access your programs:

Poetry arrived in search of me

Poetry

And it was at that age…
Poetry arrived in search of me.
I don’t know, I don’t know where it came from,
from winter or a river.
I don’t know how or when,
no, they were not voices,
they were not words, nor silence,
but from a street I was summoned,
from the branches of night,
abruptly from the others,
among violent fires
or returning alone,
there I was without a face
and it touched me.

I did not know what to say,
my mouth had no way with names
my eyes were blind,
and something started in my soul,
fever or forgotten wings,
and I made my own way,
deciphering that fire
and I wrote the first faint line,
faint, without substance,
pure nonsense,
pure wisdom
of someone who knows nothing,
and suddenly I saw the heavens unfastened and open,
planets,
palpitating planations,
shadow perforated,
riddled with arrows, fire and flowers,
the winding night, the universe.

And I, infinitesmal being,
drunk with the great starry void,
likeness, image of mystery,
I felt myself a pure part of the abyss,
I wheeled with the stars,
my heart broke free on the open sky.

-Pablo Neruda

To go in search of poetry, just scroll down to the next post or click here to see this week’s Invitation to Poetry, and lett your heart break free.

You might also enjoy

Monk in the World Guest Post: Betty Vandervest

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Betty Vandervest ‘s reflection Flowing with the Holy Spirit. I believe the act of creating artwork is tapping into the Divine. The

Read More »

The Path of Devotion ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims, This Friday, February 14th, our Program Coordinator Melinda Thomas is leading a mini-retreat on Bhakti Yoga and the Inexpressible Delights of Love. Read on for her reflection on bhakti yoga and the path of devotion. There were times in my

Read More »

4 Responses

  1. I’ve blogged about poetry a lot, love it. don’t write much of my own, though…now I know to wander over here at least every other MOnday!