From: rodhugen
Date: Mon Sep 13 08:06:16 MST 2004
Subject: Monk

Responses derek: Good Changes (9/13/04) Karen: Comment #2 (9/13/04) rodhugen: thanks (9/13/04) Responses (sorted by date) rodhugen: thanks (9/13/04) Karen: Comment #2 (9/13/04) derek: Good Changes (9/13/04) MONK Rodney J. Hugen If I lived the monastic life left wife, children, home, money, possessions, power, and all the things I long for, but do not own, and can not have, for a simple cell near a stone walled church would I find you there? Are you hidden in the corner of a rumpled pallet, the roughened hem of a weathered robe, on a touch stained crucifix above a chapel door? Are you in the blackened iron skillet of slow simmered vegetables stewing on a wood burning stove? Would I find you if I scattered corn to hens and gathered up their brown shelled eggs? If I fed timothy grass to whitefaced cows, and offered bottles to bleating lambs? If I cleaned stables until my hands calloused, or daily raked the garden free of stones, would I find you lurking near the rakes? If I beat myself with whips, prayed on bloodied knees, read your Holy Writ till first light dawns, then would I see you in the haze of early morning fog? If I prayed these prayers wept these tears, gave gifts to help the gray-haired toothless ones, offered up a smile and time of day to those abandoned, would I find you flitting in the cracks of life? Do you hide from me because I will not give you all? Are you so demanding that I cannot retain even the semblance of my shape? Whisper of my voice? Longing of my soul? Must it all be packed away in the memory of what was me? And if I do this thing, will you be there? And will you be enough? September, 2004

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From: derek
Date: Mon Sep 13 11:30:21 MST 2004
Subject: Good Changes

From: Karen
Date: Mon Sep 13 14:50:53 MST 2004
Subject: Comment #2

From: rodhugen
Date: Mon Sep 13 15:14:36 MST 2004
Subject: thanks