Being Still Here

 

As we have explored, “here” and “now” this week, I offer you a poem prayer to close out the week.

The Quiet Machine Written by Ada Limón

I’m learning so many different ways to be quiet.

There’s how I stand in the lawn, that’s one way.

 There’s also how I stand in the field across from the street, that’s another way

because I’m farther from people and therefore more likely to be alone.

There’s how I don’t answer the phone,

and how I sometimes like to lie down on the floor of the kitchen and pretend I’m not home when people knock.

There’s daytime silent when I stare

and nighttime silent when I do things.

There’s shower silent and bath silent

and California silent and Kentucky silent and car silent.

 And then there’s the silence that comes back a million times bigger than me, sneaks into my bones
and wails and wails and wails until I can’t be quiet anymore.

That’s how this machine works.

May the machine of your life find moments of silence and times when your voice sings out because you cannot be quiet anymore.  With God’s love and presence.  Amen.