Welcome to Poetry Party #79!
I select an image (the photo above is by Christine Valters Paintner) and suggest a theme/title and invite you to respond with your own poem. Scroll down and add it in the comments section below or join our Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks Facebook group and post there.
Feel free to take your poem in any direction and then post the image and invitation on your blog (if you have one), Facebook, or Twitter, and encourage others to come join the party! (If you repost the photo, please make sure to include the credit link below it and link back to this post inviting others to join us).
We began this month with a Community Lectio Divina practice with a parable from the Gospel of Mark and followed up with our Photo Party on the theme of the “harvesting the inner garden.” (You are most welcome to still participate). We continue this theme in our Poetry Party this month. What are continuing to discover about your own inner harvesting?
You can post your poem either in the comment section below*or you can join our Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks Facebook group (with more than 2200 members!) and post there.
*Note: If this is your first time posting, or includes a link, your comment will need to be moderated before it appears. This is to prevent spam and should be approved within 24 hours.
18 Responses
Poem topic: “Harvesting the inner garden”
by Kathie Houchens, September 2014
Plump protoplasm
Still and silent
Odd orbs
Cells of intention
Clustered close
Chambers of development
Invisible growth
Ever expanding
Hidden riches
Sweetened with time
Necessary nourishment
Showers of wonder
Soil of suffering
Sun of gratitude
Ripening randomly
Spontaneous readiness
Gifts of beauty
Cosmic generosity
Cluster of color
Plum, pink, and green
How beautiful and wonderful
That I can glean
Seeds sown by others
For harvest and taste
As I stop and ponder
In the midst of my haste
Wonder fills my soul and I am
Reluctant to depart
But I will treasure this God moment
Deep in my heart
I am the Vine
So heavy with my grapes
Now that the time
For harvest draws near
Oh, please take one
If it shimmers
In the autumn sunlight
Whispers to your heart
Taste its sweetness
Lick juice stained fingers
Awaken to my hidden love
So freely given
That, at last
As the oneness
Of vine and grape
Fullness of ocean
And dance of the wave
I may dwell in you
And you may
Dwell in me
Seasonal harvest
As true for myself as crops
Making space makes space
The Harvest
The season is here to harvest
To cut away and gather
I am finding that Christ does miracles again
No barren fields, earth upturned and empty
But as soon as the harvesting of internal fruit takes place
More grows and in abundance
The fruit of the Spirit it seems
Only thrives when harvested and increases its yield
So, let love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
Faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control be brought in
To be shared and to nourish myself and my tribe
Tomorrow the fields will once again be full
It’s how He is, how He works to fill us eternally.
I don’t even know if this is “poetry.” But it is out! :)
Authentic Life ripens, succulent awaiting the lips, the tongue, the teeth.
Soul yearns for union, discovery, veiled lightly in the space between.
Joining God in the labyrinth of this life unfolding,
pulsing heart longing- all is silent but for birds and bugs and breath.
Splendid moments encompassing all joy, peace, compassion, and
Love’s resurrection power that conquers even death.
Lori, this is beautiful poetry!
thank you Gayl! This page feeds my soul with connection to the Divine. So enjoying everyone’s contributions. : )
The bunched grapes
cling to each other, snuggle
close to the vine that is their life;
all colours, ripest plum
to shy green not ready yet
to be plucked. Like us,
some are ready for harvest, others
need a little more time in the sun.
Full and plump with taste,
Ready to be picked,
Ripe with surprises and joy
After hunger and thirst.
Cling onto the sacred,
Like the grapes on the vine
Knowing that change is always happening,
When to dance, and then let go.
The branch feeds the fruit
With wisdom and love,
My heart is now fed with peace and quiet,
So that the fruit can be picked.
Lovely ! the message of being “fed” by silence… yes.
I am discovering that when I am silent in the stillness there is growth going on. Sometimes the seeds that are planted are slow in coming to full harvest. Others grow rather quickly. Our lives are like this. Sometimes we see growth, sometimes we think nothing is happening when in reality the seeds are taking time to be nourished before bursting forth into bloom. Here is a poem I wrote about stillness that I think sort of goes along with this.
Stillness
Is beautiful
Time for quietness
Peace, rest
Relaxation
Stillness
Is hard
Much too quiet
Sorrow, loneliness
Discord
Stillness
Is beautiful
Time for reflection
Hope, Joy
Wonder
Stillness
Is hard
Much soul searching
Layers peeling
Questions
Stillness
Is beautiful
Look to God
Be grateful
Love
you are spot on – : ) stillness is beautifully challenging! thank you!