Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Christian : Catholic

20th Century

About Thomas Merton

Timeline (1915 - 1968)

Thomas Merton, Thomas Merton poetry, Christian, Christian poetry, Catholic poetry, [TRADITION SUB2] poetry, poetry

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Original Language
English

O Sweet Irrational Worship

Themes

Birds

Fire

Garden

Heart

Honey

Recommended Books

	The Collected Poems of Thomas Merton, by Thomas Merton
	Selected Poems of Thomas Merton, by Thomas Merton
	Thomas Merton Monk & Poet: A Critical Study, by George Woodcock
	A Thomas Merton Reader, by Thomas Merton / Edited by Thomas P. McDonnell

Wind and a bobwhite
And the afternoon sun.

By ceasing to question the sun
I have become light,

Bird and wind.

My leaves sing.

I am earth, earth

All these lighted things
Grow from my heart.

A tall, spare pine
Stands like the initial of my first
Name when I had one.

When I had a spirit,
When I was on fire
When this valley was
Made out of fresh air
You spoke my name
In naming Your silence:
O sweet, irrational worship!

I am earth, earth

My heart's love
Bursts with hay and flowers.
I am a lake of blue air
In which my own appointed place
Field and valley
Stand reflected.

I am earth, earth

Out of my grass heart
Rises the bobwhite.

Out of my nameless weeds
His foolish worship.

-- from Selected Poems of Thomas Merton, by Thomas Merton

Amazon.com

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Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

About Thomas Merton

Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World