Monday, May 20, 2013

Beginning


Currently Reading: 
  • Choosing to Love the World by Thomas Merton
  • One Song: A New Illuminated Rumi by Michael Green 

Daily Devotionals:
  • Shorter Christian Prayer
  • Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
  • On Track Devotions: May-August by Pilgrimage Educational Resources


A dear friend encouraged me to write a poem reflecting Rumi's style. Here's my attempt: 
You ask for wisdom
but what you seek
has already been said.
This 'knowing' you desire
is everywhere.
Don't be blind
don't ask for what you already have,
Look,
Count your blessings.
Here's another: 
Caught in the cloud of Mind,
I easily forget
every good thing.

Being contemplative is so easily mocked and misunderstood. 
And to tell you the truth, being contemplative doesn't (automatically) get me what I want, either. 
What I want: to feel accepted, to be at peace, to be a presence of comfortable peace for others. Too often I come across as aloof. Often I feel conflict and negativity, too, reactively springing up from the noise and drama of other people's lives. 

But I think Quietness is an important pursuit. I think Stillness is an amiable goal. I think listening and observing--my surroundings, my body, my mind--is healthy and so missed in our culture today. So, I will pursue this way of living despite the mocking and misunderstanding. Why be less because of 'your' misery? And who says 'you're' miserable, anyway? It's time to stop assuming, and start knowing. 


No comments:

Post a Comment