Friday, January 11, 2013

And Leaves Me Dreaming


How may I tell you of the thoughts I hold
concealed from men as misers guard their gold,
lest in their speech their beauty like a bird
set free, escape and young new thoughts that stirred
my love to flames grow still and strangely old?

I am the undisputed property
of Him whose wishes I may not deny;
a Lover jealous of my heart, Who fills
the whole of it and in His mastery
withdraws my heart from what is passing by,
and leaves me dreaming of Eternal hills.

(written by 'A Religious,' LISTENING TO THE INDWELLING PRESENCE, Pellegrini, Sydney, 1940,  p. 99)

Painting:  Jules Breton, Asleep in the Woods

This post is linked to Catholic Bloggers Network Linkup Blitz 

9 comments:

  1. So beautiful, Nancy! Both the poem and the painting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes! Yes! Yes! That poem captures something of the beauty and the love inherent in the cloister, I think. As I was just saying, not there yet, not there yet, not there yet. I do long for the cloistered life. (But.... I want to add a caveat... I'm not an authority on anything. Except, maybe, my own thoughts. Not that you were thinking otherwise, but I just wanted to say that anyway.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your yes yes yes, that echo the yes yes yes I myself had when I found this!

      Delete
    2. By the way, I put this poem into a letter to a postulant recently (Roswell PCC's), and she enjoyed it. <3

      Delete
    3. Thank you for letting me know this... I'm so glad!

      Delete
  3. Thanks for posting this beautiful post and painting.
    "Withdraws my heart from what is passing by..." speaks to me so strongly about surrender and detachment.

    ReplyDelete