Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Cloister of Light's Silence


Photo by Katy Brown, Davis


THE HYMNS OF THE EARTH
—St. Catherine of Siena

I wanted to be a hermit and only hear the hymns
of the earth, and the laughter of the sky,

and the sweet gossip of the creatures on my limbs,
the forests.

I wanted to be a hermit and not see another face
look upon mine and tell me I was not
all the beauty in this
world.

For so many faces do that—
cage us.

The wings we have are so fragile
they can break from just
one word, or

a glance void
of love.

I wanted to live in that cloister of
light's silence

because, is it not true, the heart
is so fragile and shy.

____________________

—Medusa