I spent last weekend at St. Joseph’s Monastery in Kentucky taking part in a silent guided retreat: no phones, no books, no words. The nuns sang psalms at the appointed hours. Birds awakened us in the morning.

I became accustomed to the communal silence – at meals, in the halls, in the woods. Smiles passed between us carrying everything.

I thought I might feel like the Little Mermaid but did not. Instead I felt quiet, restful, and open, except for the night I was somewhat agitated. In the dark, prayer is always an option and sometimes a relief.

Here are some things I saw:

A path named for a girl

 

where tiny flowers bloomed

and blackberries began to ripen.

The path held tokens here and there from prior visitors.

Three butterflies haunted the woods – no more, no less (though what they sought they did not seem to find).

There was a place to sit,

some quiet friends,

and more than one mystery.

***

Elsewhere I saw a girl with long hair in a gorgeous coat

and a tree with a frankly unbelievable flower – pansy? orchid? snapdragon?

I saw a place where someone organized their heart.

***

My mother made banana bread and left it in the dining hall (or it may have been a nun who made it; my mother is dead). I took it to my room and ate it by the light of the green shade lamp.

 

***

You too can go on silent retreat with Dovehouse Ministries. I’m happy to tell you more about it – email me @jenniferhpuryear@gmail.com.

 

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Pepper and Poems

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