One Must First Become Small
Beyond the Question, 1
The phoebe sits on her nest
Hour after hour,
Day after day,
Waiting for life to burst out
From under her warmth.
Can I weave a nest for silence,
Weave it out of listening,
Listening,
Layer upon layer?
But one must first become small,
Nothing but a presence,
Attentive as a nesting bird,
Proffering no slightest wish,
No tendril of a wish
Toward anything that might happen
Or be given,
Only the warm, faithful waiting,
Contained in one’s smallness.
— May Sarton
Collected Poems 1930-1993
Photo credit: Georgia Sparling
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Today’s Invitation
Go outside and feel that you are part of the largeness of creation.
![](https://dailyquaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Dividing-lines-1.png)
Query of the Week
What is your relationship with silence and stillness?
What happens for you when you try to sit still in silence? How do you maintain a state of inner stillness through the noise and demands of your daily life?
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