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

Visual Meditation: Dropping Keys

*

*

* 

Dropping Keys

The small man
Builds cages for everyone
He
Knows.
While the sage,
Who has to duck his head
When the moon is low,
Keeps dropping keys all night long
For the
Beautiful
Rowdy
Prisoners.

-Hafiz

*

*

*

*

(a simple meditation this week — photo is of a collection I have of old keys from Austria) 

-Christine Valters Paintner @ Abbey of the Arts

** Come back Monday for our next Poetry Party **

You might also enjoy

Loving Into Justice ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims,  We are delighted to begin our 2025-2026 program year and our 20th year of ministry this Friday, August 15th with a retreat on Loving into Justice led by the wonderful Coke Tani. Coke offers this reflection and introduction to what we will

Read More »

Monk in the World Guest Post: Rachel Grandey

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to our Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Rachel Grandey’s reflection on bringing the heart of contemplative practice to research and opening to the questions. In 2023 I left my

Read More »

6 Responses

  1. Christine, love the quote, and
    the keyhole size photo!

    “The earth has many keys,
    Where melody is not
    Is the unknown peninsula.
    Beauty is nature’s fact.”

    ~ Emily Dickinson