Friday, May 24, 2013

Words with Madeleine

Poetry Friday today is with Jama over at Jama's Alphabet Soup.


“I'm apt to get drunk on words...Ontology: the word about the essence of things; the word about being.”
                                              ― Madeleine L'Engle, A Circle of Quiet



Word 
by Madeleine L'Engle

I, who live by words, am wordless when
I try my words in prayer. All language turns
To silence. Prayer will take my words and then
Reveal their emptiness. The stilled voice learns
To hold its peace, to listen with the heart
To silence that is joy, is adoration.
The self is shattered, all words torn apart
In this strange patterned time of contemplation
That, in time, breaks time, breaks words, breaks me,
And then, in silence, leaves me healed and mended.
I leave, returned to language, for I see
Through words, even when all words are ended.

I, who live by words, am wordless when
I turn me to the Word to pray. Amen.


"when you put something into words, it leads to so many other thoughts"
                             - Madeleine L'Engle, The Small Rain

Put something into words today!

5 comments:

  1. I so needed this this morning! Thanks, Doraine - So many inspiring and insightful words she left us.

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  2. Such brilliance. Thanks for the beautiful, inspiring poem and quotes!

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  3. Wow, thanks for sharing this beautiful poem, Dori! So much to love about it.

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  4. L'Engle had a way with words! Thanks for sharing her wisdom. =)

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