The Novice
Picked

I wrote this – my first poem, in 1995. At the time I was living in a Benedictine monastery, as the lay guest master; this being after eight years as a Buddhist monk. Some of the subject matter is autobiographical, I found my life’s soul mate while living there; but it also evokes a young novice in the older times. Please excuse any faults – it can never be changed in any way. 

       

                       

                                       The Novice

 

                        Awakening Sunday morning,

                        to the soul’s quiet decorum;

                           slips the night’s ease,

                       into my body a gentle peace;

                           lying passive in bed –

                    recalling poetry, I’ve never read.

 

               Suddenly, the inadvertent rooster’s crow,

                       vain foolish bird named Romeo;

                   yet we have something in common,

                        our shared concern is woman.

                          Queen of forgetful night,

                      release this poet’s blind sight.

 

                Sleep dispels to the birds’ dawn singing,

                    followed by the Lauds bell ringing;

                 calling to chapel, to prayer and fasting;

                    to praising God, for life everlasting;

                          but my heart’s real wish?

                      Ah, ’tis a woman’s gentle kiss!

 

                     Dear God allow me once again,

                to feel and accept the necessary pain,

                    of holding the living being in trust,

                     and not despising a natural lust;

                      for what it means to be in love;

                   the sad sweet mystery from above.

 

                                                                       D G Moody

             

                         

 

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ifyouplease

I know what you mean, it’s this natural lust that made me choose to not become a nun.

stormwolf

Strange that! At one time I dallied with the idea of a life removed. I am not a Catholic and I did take time out of much of life to change route but to deny myself the choice o0f experiencing the whole of loving made me think again. xx

Bhi

There is nothing more divine then the love for another

griffonner

Oh so profound, Dougie… plus it is exceptional poetry. Love it.

Allen

stormwolf

A beautifully personal poem and a bold one too. The title is perfect and the pic also. I have been on two separate retreats of a week at a time to a Benedictine monastery up near Elgin. It was what my soul needed at the time. The picture is not Pluscardin Abbey by any chance? That was where I went. I have such precious memories of those times. I also went on other retreats to balance my city slicker,party girl nature that had precedence at that time. 😉 I eventually took myself off to two years in more or less… Read more »

stormwolf

Kahlil Gibran was divinely inspired as any of us are capable of being but he was uniquely gifted. I love so many wonderful writings in the Bible but his writings are beyond anything to me. His book The Prophet has seen me through so many hard times.

He is the very finest writer in my humble opinion because he channelled Source in his work.

valdohren

Lovely reflective poem Dougie. You are so lucky to have found your soul mate. I have been married, now widowed, but he was not my soul mate. Still looking, but at my age now, fear I shall never find. Enjoyed reading.
Val x