Comments on: Thomas Merton - In Silence http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/ Sacred Poetry from Around the World Wed, 7 Jan 2009 18:02:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Chris http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-712 Chris Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:08:27 +0000 http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-712 Ivan, It seems to inspire, Lines of the sanctus, Like ageless beauty, Like a cadence of silence, As it bears upon my mind. My gratitude to the poems you have posted. It is beautiful. Ivan,
It seems to inspire,
Lines of the sanctus,
Like ageless beauty,
Like a cadence of silence,
As it bears upon my mind.

My gratitude to the poems you have posted. It is beautiful.

]]> By: Ivan M. Granger http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-704 Ivan M. Granger Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:15:06 +0000 http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-704 bob, any purpose to birdsong? none but to feel the breast expand and fill the silence with melody Ivan bob,

any purpose to birdsong?
none
but to feel the breast expand
and fill the silence
with melody
Ivan

]]> By: bob knab http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-698 bob knab Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:50:47 +0000 http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-698 i stopped doing poetry alas this great one said this this one said that so what ! more words nice words of little value the voice of the birds song just looking for food or sex now this is something of value * bob knab i stopped doing poetry
alas
this great one said this
this one said that
so what !
more words
nice words of little value
the voice of the birds song
just looking for
food
or
sex
now this is something of value *

bob knab

]]> By: Ivan M. Granger http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-682 Ivan M. Granger Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:43:51 +0000 http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-682 Someone pointed out the appropriate timing of posting this poem -- on the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, toward whom Merton felt a great devotion. Someone pointed out the appropriate timing of posting this poem — on the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, toward whom Merton felt a great devotion.

]]> By: Ivan M. Granger http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-681 Ivan M. Granger Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:41:44 +0000 http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-681 Chisenga -- thank you. I've gotten a few emails saying the same thing, that the poem appears in "The Strange Island." It may also have been reprinted in a few later collections, but I haven't been able to verify that yet. (The Poetry Chaikhana community is better than Google -- send out a question and get knowledgeable answers from all over the globe!) Chisenga — thank you. I’ve gotten a few emails saying the same thing, that the poem appears in “The Strange Island.” It may also have been reprinted in a few later collections, but I haven’t been able to verify that yet. (The Poetry Chaikhana community is better than Google — send out a question and get knowledgeable answers from all over the globe!)

]]> By: chisenga http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-680 chisenga Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:44:02 +0000 http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-680 If I recall correct, the poem is from Merton's 1957 poetry book, "The strange island". Thanks for sending and sharing... to also say a few words, reading the poem am re-minded of what's been on my heart lately. Nothing extraordinary so to speak, just those ordinary words: 'I am,' and how so much stillness is held within them. I am. Who am I, really? Chisenga? whose beneath the me, the name? self? the personality? whats the secret behind the distinct? beyond the realm of I am this I am that? who is thinking of 'this' and the 'that', to connect the I am to, with? I am that I am....I am confused now ah If I recall correct, the poem is from Merton’s 1957 poetry book, “The strange island”. Thanks for sending and sharing…

to also say a few words, reading the poem am re-minded of what’s been on my heart lately. Nothing extraordinary so to speak, just those ordinary words: ‘I am,’ and how so much stillness is held within them. I am. Who am I, really? Chisenga? whose beneath the me, the name? self? the personality? whats the secret behind the distinct? beyond the realm of I am this I am that? who is thinking of ‘this’ and the ‘that’, to connect the I am to, with?
I am that I am….I am confused now ah

]]> By: salam http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-674 salam Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:05:46 +0000 http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-674 My dear Ivan, Silence,has the power to move the mountains.stillness has the power to shake the universe. Its always the antidote,its honey.cure to poison. I, my name, who am i,are just lost when one stands on the other side of the, breath. Long back my Murshid told me.It was the silence of Shamas & RUMI which rest could not under stand and killed the SHAMS.Is SHAMS dead NO.Rest live no more,but Rumi gave breath to SHAMS.So they are alive Two candles(flames) & two(many) names with one light. regards. salam My dear Ivan,
Silence,has the power to move the mountains.stillness has the power to shake the universe.
Its always the antidote,its honey.cure to poison.
I, my name, who am i,are just lost when one stands on the other side of the, breath.
Long back my Murshid told me.It was the silence of Shamas & RUMI which rest could not under stand and killed the SHAMS.Is SHAMS dead NO.Rest live no more,but Rumi gave breath to SHAMS.So they are alive Two candles(flames) & two(many) names with one light.
regards.
salam

]]> By: Mary Jeanne http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-673 Mary Jeanne Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:23:40 +0000 http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-673 Hope you are feeling better, Ivan. Also hope you are well enough to continue working on your book. You are working on a book, right? Hope you are feeling better, Ivan. Also hope you are well enough to continue working on your book. You are working on a book, right?

]]> By: michael firewalker http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-672 michael firewalker Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:51:09 +0000 http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2008/07/16/thomas-merton-in-silence/#comment-672 what a powerhouse poem this is!...and needful, at least for michael...your gifts to us always inspire, and more than that, they leave us feeling free to express our full and honest responses to what you have shared...however, that has gotten michael into a lot of trouble over the last couple of days...so I have really had to search my heart over it... in this poem, Thomas Merton says we must know ourselves in the stillness of our silence...regarding your presentation "From my youth I piled studies upon studies", michael expressed a concern which was interpreted by nari as a manifestation of michael's spiritual ego...this troubled michael some, as he would ever intend to offend either Ivan or nari with his ego in any way... after the heart search, in the silence of which you and Thomas Merton speak, the original concern michael had remained as just it initially was, which is that it might be a good thing to add a bit more emphasis, for the purpose of balance, on the reasons why we do study sacred scripture...and even though you had already emphasized that, michael felt to add the fact that Life itself actually lives inside the sacred words we read, and therefore we do need to study them, as you said we do, in order that we might receive that eternal Life from them...that was all michael was trying to do, which seems exactly what you are asking for when you ask us to offer a response to your inspirational thoughts... but, if I offended you, I am deeply sorry for that...with you, I do not feel guarded and fearful to speak my mind...you always feel free inside michael's heart, and so he responded freely... am going to search out some Thomas Merton books now... thank you for your patient listening, dear Ivan, michael what a powerhouse poem this is!…and needful, at least for michael…your gifts to us always inspire, and more than that, they leave us feeling free to express our full and honest responses to what you have shared…however, that has gotten michael into a lot of trouble over the last couple of days…so I have really had to search my heart over it…

in this poem, Thomas Merton says we must know ourselves in the stillness of our silence…regarding your presentation “From my youth I piled studies upon studies”, michael expressed a concern which was interpreted by nari as a manifestation of michael’s spiritual ego…this troubled michael some, as he would ever intend to offend either Ivan or nari with his ego in any way…

after the heart search, in the silence of which you and Thomas Merton speak, the original concern michael had remained as just it initially was, which is that it might be a good thing to add a bit more emphasis, for the purpose of balance, on the reasons why we do study sacred scripture…and even though you had already emphasized that, michael felt to add the fact that Life itself actually lives inside the sacred words we read, and therefore we do need to study them, as you said we do, in order that we might receive that eternal Life from them…that was all michael was trying to do, which seems exactly what you are asking for when you ask us to offer a response to your inspirational thoughts…

but, if I offended you, I am deeply sorry for that…with you, I do not feel guarded and fearful to speak my mind…you always feel free inside michael’s heart, and so he responded freely…

am going to search out some Thomas Merton books now…

thank you for your patient listening, dear Ivan,
michael

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