A meditation on stillness
by DREW D. WEST
Stillness chosen
has a way of shaping us—
it certainly has shaped me.
Like a rock in a river
accepting the water’s current for a hundred years—
it smooths our roughness,
if we allow it.
I thought I knew myself.
But when I first entered the quiet,
I could hardly stand being with that stranger!
I only knew my surface.
But after many moments of staying still,
I learned to admire the details long unseen.
I learned to marvel
at the fact that I exist at all.
When I avoid this unfolding experience,
I become a stranger.
When I welcome it,
it overflows,
and I build neighborhoods of peace
amidst wars.
How long have I chosen this silence?
I’m not sure—
but I hope to gather a hundred years.
Drew D. West
Drew is a poet, writer, and pastor in The United Methodist Church with a deep love for global contemplative spirituality. He studied theology at Justo Mwale University in Zambia and completed graduate work at Emory University. He lives i... Read More
