I frequent this warm cinnamon bench
at my college's open air catholic altar.
But I am not catholic,
I merely come here when I'm feeling off:
for the waterfall
the lush green foliage
the smell of rich moist earth
to feel God's nearness,
because it feels like
I've been away from home too long
but mostly because
nobody else comes here
Its just me and my thoughts
and the sloshing fountain waters
the fragrant smell of earth dampened
and God, God all around me
Hi Nika I remember vividly the first time I read this poem and felt its warm glow fill me completely. A disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright designed a chapel which was carved into a mountain side in Sedona Arizona It is fairly large with an immense inner dome, so even when many people are within it you feel almost alone. I spent an hour in there trying to keep my thoughts from wandering and stay focused on gratitude. I'm glad I found your poem again today. It has such resonance it will stay in me all day! .
another fine poem. it sounds like a great place. maybe Roman Catholics would want catholic capitalized. and somebody left the apostrophe out of It's here: Its just me and my thoughts...... i think PH sometimes is the culprit, but i find that i sometimes miss one of my errors even after two or three proof-readings. this goes to MyPoemList. :) thanks for sharing. i especially enjoyed the lines: because it feels like I've been away from home too long but mostly because nobody else comes here bri :)
Nika, this is a beautiful poem, and I've taken it deep within me. I'm almost at a loss for words (a rare experience for me!) because the words of your poem are so fulfilling. The poem says what must be said; the most appropriate response is silence, similar to your state of mind/soul when you visit this chapel. The closing stanza of your poem is a wonderful restatement, in compressed form, of the details that make this place a threshold to the sacred. I admire the way you found the divine presence with quiet but genuine faith. I rarely promote my own poems when I'm commenting on other people's work, BUT you may like my poem BETWEEN STONE AND STARS at my Poetry Site because it describes a visit to a Catholic church and the calm a sacred place conveys.
From a distance of but not off by more than the lenghth of around the tree one then both are walking talking the wind lifting up her skirt seeing stars, he bows she curtsies, as leaves begin to fall...iip
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
I'm not Catholic either, but I love your poem. The line NOBODY ELSE COMES HERE says it all. When you have solitude it can help you feel closer to God.