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The other day in responding to comments, I happened upon a blog that featured an article on Gregorian chant. This morning, during my personal quiet time, my mind was jumping around like a flea. I could not center or begin to calm down. So I went back to that site and let the music enter my soul, allowed my breathing to slow down and found a moment’s escape from the mad wanderings of my brain.
For today’s prompt, let’s reflect on sacred music. Perhaps you will want to play a CD of your own that helps you to relax and meditate. What rings your spiritual chimes? Gregorian or Buddist chant? New Age? Drumming? The sounds of nature? Or? Allow yourself to listen and then go with it, wherever the tones or notes or rhythm leads you. Then write, poetry or prose, whatever bubbles out of that moment.
Here’s a poem I wrote years ago that our local community college published in their literary journal. Truckee Meadows Community College, The MeadoW. (That W is not a mistake).
Maestro
You’re the conductor.
Lead me.
Travel with me to the source
of sound.
I’m a pliable instrument
in your hands,
Music.
You called me to theTruckee.
We sat together on the bank last summer.
You held me.
Water pounded, swirled,
tempered stones,
smoothing them.
You wrapped me in a blanket of rhythm
as the evening breeze chilled my soul.
I listened.
with a stick I stirred up a pebble
and pocketed it.
A reminder of the beat of drumming.
Sacred Songs.
We went to the Labyrinth
on a frosty Wednesday in November.
I wove my way along the path
through dormant shrubs
and plucked a single bloom found
amid the stubble—
a survivor.
Benedictine monks
chanted latin hymns.
At the Center they intoned
Salve Mater, Misericordiae.
Hail, Mother.
At the mid-point of the Earth,
Grace.
And here are a few links that might help to inspire:
http://www.naturesongs.com/birds.html
Here’s how to join in: Write your response, access Mr. Linky below, then copy and paste your URL. Finally spend a few moments reading and commenting on other submissions.
vivinfrance
/ November 18, 2011I forgot about this prompt, although it is right up my street. Your poem for Margo Roby, which I read this morning, reminded me so I shall have a go at it.
Inside the Mind of Isadora
/ November 18, 2011Hi Victoria,
I’m a little late on this one. This is a subject I could write a bunch on. It turns out I didn’t realize how many different religions influence my relaxation and de-stressing. I was going to post Buddist meditation chants then remebered my many interesting and dark days of being sent to an academy.
I can’t believe this fits the challenge like a glove. Did you see inside my mind????
Isadora
http://insidethemindofisadora.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/the-benedictine-mondatery-academy/
Inside the Mind of Isadora
/ November 18, 2011OOOppps … my url is wrong … here it is :
http://insidethemindofisadora.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/the-benedictine-monastery-academy/
brian miller
/ November 16, 2011nice victoria…i find music to be a very spiritual experience…going to see U2 this year…was a huge one…great verse of your own as well…the stirring up of the pebble…a tangible memory is very cool…
Phil
/ November 15, 2011Beautifully written. I enjoy sacred music for its ability to transport me to another realm. There is omething about the aural sense that I connect with so easily.
Mama Zen
/ November 15, 2011Beautiful!
manicddaily
/ November 14, 2011Hi Victoria–I had a really grim poem on Kirtan singing which was what I was thinking of and just couldn’t bear to put up something depressing, so instead linked to something a bit more upbeat==but spiritual in its way. If you like Lennie Bernstein! K.
manicddaily
/ November 14, 2011Another lovely poem, Victoria. The contrasts are wonderful and there’s an inherent music. (My only criticism–and this is simply a matter of personal taste–is I’m a big fan of regular rather than centered spacing in poetry. But this is really my idiosyncrasy, and maybe a result of poor vision–I find centered poetry much harder to read and follow, and it’s harder for me to understand punctuation and line breaks. But again, this is undoubtedly just me.) It’s a good poem! I wrote a poem about sacred music once, but am so beat today, don’t know what I can do! K.
Victoria
/ November 15, 2011I agree. I’ve been left-aligning. This was an old one and I didn’t take the time to edit. Thanks for the feedback. I always appreciate a good critique!
vivinfrance
/ November 16, 2011I used to do a lot of centred poems, because it helped me to see the shape of the lineation, but someone else said the same thing as you about difficulty of reading, so I stopped. However, I continue to centre haiku and senryu – it just seems right.
Tino
/ November 14, 2011Yet another challenging prompt, you certainly keep us on our toes. It was tough for sure, but I did my take on it as I am not religious and all music to me is not exactly sacred as such. I just love music and when I am down, it can lift me like nothing else on this earth.
Bodhirose
/ November 14, 2011I have linked in my experience with mantra chanting. xo
Yousei Hime
/ November 14, 2011It’s a day early for Monday (for me, that is), but I don’t mind a bit. I love early music, and I enjoyed how you anchored it in a moment. Thanks for the lovely prompt.
zongrik
/ November 14, 2011I wrote a benediction. Hope this is what you wanted.