The Calling
We will spend what's left of our lives
here, in the Mother House.
Removed from village and road,
set inside stone walls overgrown with hedge,
our buildings, gardens, and covered walks
are woven together to form veil after veil
of confinement. In summer
we even welcome the rainshowers
because they keep us still closer
to our rooms. We are taught
that when one arrives at perfect emptiness
one enters the presence of God.
That does not concern me.
I have my reasons to fear God.
so I do not wait on him.
I am content to sit at my window
and breathe the air coming off the garden.
Sometimes after a long period, the silence
inside the soft bell of the tulip's mouth
is so like my own it overwhelms me.
That is all. For me this is home,
this is the house I dreamt of as a child,
the house I waited for years to enter.
So if I should meet you coming up the path
I might say: Wait. Take time
Before you raise your hand to the door
make certain you know
how little there is on the other side.
