Like a quiet room.

Like a quiet room

Once, long ago,

You knew and loved

Some quiet room --

Not rich,

Nor smartly furnished --

Yet a friendly place,

With doors and windows

Standing open

Day and night,

So, the wide, sweet air,

And the wide, sweet light

Flowed in and out

Unhampered.

The wind, too,

Went in and out

Of that room --

And the soft

Singing sound

Of the rain---

And, in spring,

The smell

Of ploughed earth --

What is like

A lusty body calling --

And in Fall,

The wistful fragrance

Of burning leaves,

Stinging, like tears.

 

Always,

Day or night,

The beauty and wonder

Of the World

Streamed freely

Through that open room

And the shadows

Of the leaves

Lay, lovelier than any rug,

On its plain floor.

Even in the darkness

A presence filled it --

Gentle but potent --

Resting you --

Releasing you.

That is the thing

You remember best

About the room --

That sense of life

Filling it.

Passing in and out

Amply, easily,

Bringing its beauty

And wonder,

Its help and healing --

Weaving

Its lovely pattern

Of wind and rain,

Sunlight and stars,

Ploughed earth

And burning leaves

And brooding darkness.

A simple room,
Without shadowed corners,

Or stuffy draperies,

Or costly treasures --

But space enough

In that room

For all the brave

And beautiful things

That really matter.

Once you loved,
A room like that,

And its memory

Has stayed with you

Always --

And often you've wished

Your life were like that.

There are people

Like that --

Uncluttered people

Whose spirits

Are open to life.

There are

No dark corners

In those people --

No moldy litters

Of hate and fear --

Or dusty draperies

Or pretense,

Or costly knickknacks

Or prejudice and conceit.

 

Such people are simple,

Open to everything --

Life passes

In and out of them

Amply, easily,

As was intended.

In all its abundance

Of beauty and wonder

And tears.

 

They are plain --

Those people --

But they have

A quiet richness,

A wide beauty,

A deep power,

That heals you.

You rest

Within their hearts

As in a quiet room.

-- unknown

*  *  *  *  *

I found this poem at Housekeeping in High Heels, and thank Wendy for sharing it there.