Silence And The Quiet Mind

Photo by Marco Migliardi

“Not all men are called to be hermits, but all men need enough silence and solitude in their lives to enable the deep inner voice of their own true self to be heard at least occasionally. When that inner voice is not heard, when man cannot attain to the spiritual peace that comes from being perfectly at one with his true self, his life is always miserable and exhausting. For he cannot go on happily for long unless he is in contact with the springs of spiritual life which are hidden in the depths of his own soul. If man is constantly exiled from his own home, locked out of his own spiritual solitude, he ceases to be a true person. He no longer lives as a man.” — Thomas Merton

This is the time to be slow,

Lie low to the wall

Until the bitter weather passes.

Try the best you can, not to let

the wire brush of doubt

Scrape from your heart

All sense of yourself

And your hesitant light.

If you remain generous

Time will come good;

And you will find your feet

Again on fresh pastures of promise,

Where the air will be kind