Poetry As A Practice In Prayer

My mother-in-law reads a poem every night before bed as part of her prayer practice. At present she is working her way through an anthology of poems on the theme of presence, which means she always knows what to reach for at the end of the day. I love the simplicity of this practice, and of course, the dailiness of it. Anyone could do this—or a version of it—and the rhythm of it would add untold richness to one's days and nights.

Here's a poem she shared with me this weekend:

Ancient Language

by Hannah Stephenson

If you stand at the edge of the forest

and stare into it

every tree at the edge will blow a little extra

oxygen toward you

It has been proven

Leaves have admitted it

The pines I have known

have been especially candid

One said

that all breath in this world

is roped together

that breathing is

the most ancient language

This poem is from the anthology Poetry of Presence.

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We do too much because we think we should and most of us need more practice doing what feels good or what simply pleases us. That is enough of a reason to do something, in my view. This is another way to be more free: Break up with the idea that every action must be tied to an outcome that has something to do with earning or achieving. Pretty soon, you will feel a lot more free, I guarantee it.

—Holly Wren Spaulding, December 2022