Poetry Friday is one of a precious handful of writing communities for which I am extremely grateful. Each week, a worldful of poets share their hearts through words, images, and art in a collective, supportive online environment. This week is hosted by Janice Scully at Salt City Verse. Please visit! She will have links there for others who give word to the invisible.
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What is invisible, really?
Something invisible is just unseen presence. Silent but waiting, ready. And I am swimming in invisible graces. Time. Friendships. Writing partners. Words. And it is my joy to make poems with these.
But this week, Wendell Berry’s captured what is stirring in my heart.
How to be a Poet (to remind myself)
by Wendell Berry
(read the full poem here)
….
Accept what comes from silence.
Make the best you can of it.
Of the little words that come
out of the silence, like prayers
prayed back to the one who prays,
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.
Patricia Franz is a kidlit writer and published poet. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
Oooh, Patricia, you had me at “What is invisible, really?” LOVE. I will be pondering this…thank you, friend. So grateful for you! xo
Patricia, within the gentleness of silence, I shall follow your lead, “Accept what comes from silence.” I am glad that you shared this poem and that you are swimming in invisible graces at this time of year.
Such a thoughtful post! I love the first line of Berry’s poem “Accept what comes from silence.” We have to listen, don’t we, to hear it. Happy Holiday, Patricia.
This is so beautiful. I spend time in a lot of cacophony but enjoy (and need!) the quiet, too.
Lovely respite from the frenzy of the holidays. One of my fave Berry poems. Thanks for sharing!
Oooh, those last two lines. Thank you for this, Patricia. Those lines will ring in my ears when I next start a poem.
I love Berry & this poem, Patricia. It feels like the very one for winter, doesn’t it? I especially am caught with “out of the silence, like prayers /prayed back to the one who prays,”. When we write, the words do uplift us personally, so true. Thanks for your thoughts before the poem, too, that “swimming in invisible graces”. Have a special weekend!
Such a great question as we head into winter…and such a great poem to ponder. My whole weekend will now include noticing what’s invisible. Thank you. What a lovely gift.
All those magical words emerging from the silence- that’s what it’s all about! Thank you Patricia and thank you for Wendell’s words.
This Wendell Berry poem is a favorite of mine! Thanks for sharing it!
Thoughtful and kind, just like the poems that you write!
“Accept what comes from silence” – thank you for this, Patricia.
Gosh, I love me some Wendell Berry! 🙂 So very grateful we got to chat this week!
So much to ponder here. I love the challenge to consider what/who is invisible. And the poem is a perfect reminder of the poet’s call. “Communicate slowly” spoke to me.