100 Day Project – Days 71 and 72

DAY 71 (July 20th, 2017)

Saint Francis de Sales
Saint Francis de Sales

The Prayer of Quiet

The soul, then, being thus inwardly recollected in
God or before God, now and then becomes so
sweetly attentive to the goodness of her well-beloved,
that her attention seems not to her to be attention, so
purely and delicately is it exercised; as it happens
to certain rivers, which glide so calmly and smoothly that
beholders, and such as float upon them, seem neither to
see nor feel any motion, because the waters are not
seen to ripple or flow at all.

DAY 72 (July 21st, 2017)

Mary Oliver
Mary Oliver

Praying

It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don’t try
to make them elaborate, this isn’t
a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.

My Commentary

I’ve combined these two into a single poem

THE QUIET HOUR

This is the quiet hour,
when the moon casts
all that’s seemingly manifest,
into doubt and shadows.

This is the quiet hour
when all the world sleeps
except for the horned owl
perched upon a pine tree.

Be still, my friend.
Be fearless and listen.

This is the late, breathless hour
when the storm breaks
and the world stops spinning
and a mirror opens
and you confront yourself
and wrestle with who
you are.

Who. Who.
The great horned owl is not asking you a question,
but is asking you to question.


The 100 Day Project

The 100 Day Project

The 100 Day Project is a creativity excavation. It’s about unearthing dormant or unrealized creativity by committing to a daily practice everyday for 100 days.
Creativity is a skill. The more we practice, the more skilled we become. Practice takes time. Practice takes commitment. Practice is a radical act in this speeded up world. Through practice, we develop a creative habit. Through habit, we reconnect with and know ourselves again as a creative being.

I started this 100 Day Project on May 11th. My project is to read a poem, and write at least one first-draft stanza inspired by that poem. I’ll post the results at www.bradseverance.com/category/100-day-project/

Enjoy!


Both of the poems above came from Roger Housden’s for lovers of god everywhere, which you can purchase on Amazon.

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