Advent is a season that speaks softly to me, encouraging me to listen, observe, and reflect in quietness. My daily ritual is to light a candle in the darkness of each Advent morning, read aloud a poem or quotation, then sit quietly.
From November 28-December 24 , I will share a piece of writing that I have collected or written, which resonates with my own spiritual journey at this time of year. I hope that their words may be resources for your Advent practices. If you have Advent rituals and/or writing to add, I encourage you to leave them in the comments section for the rest of us to read.
Peace in this time of waiting and discovery.
Twylla

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The Light Within

 ©2010 Twylla Alexander

The flame awakens to the familiar touch,
stretches, breathes, quietens.
The woman sits nearby
with her book,
open to Advent writings.

Today
she does not read.

She stares
into her companion’s face;
Its thoughts
held in shadow.

“Dear Flame, you hear the words I repeat,
the prayers,
the Promise given
year after year.
Yet I remain the same,
waiting to be changed.

Have you no wisdom for me?”

She bows her head.

Needles scratch a frosted pane.
Chill slips through tired cracks
as a rude wind pushes past.
Ticks follow tocks,
in perfect step.
in perfect step.

The flame leans forward.

“That for which you wait is
within you, and in all.”

She lifts her head,
takes in
the Light. 

                                             Photo by Twylla Alexander


Note:  The next posting will be on December 16.  I will be in route from Russia to the U.S. on the 15th.

No comments:

Post a Comment