A poem by Catholic Law student, Theo Warner (4E), has been published in the spring edition of The Merton Seasonal: A Quarterly Review. The Merton Seasonal is a joint publication of the International Thomas Merton Society and the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.
Warner’s poem, “The Mercy of God,” explores themes hinted by the title. Warner commented on the poem, sharing his experience and what the poem has meant to him,
"For me, this poem began when I was rereading The Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton’s seminal memoir, with the local Merton Group which I’ve attended for years at St. Anselm’s Abbey. Merton says that the saints when they remember their sins, remember the mercy of God. It stuck in my mind for weeks. It became an opportunity for me to take stock of things.
I’ve been writing poetry for most of my adult life—even during law school. I usually don’t feel any need to publish, but this poem felt different. There is such a vibrant community that continues to read Thomas Merton’s books. Even Pope Francis discussed Thomas Merton in his 2015 address to Congress.
I’m usually working on a few poems at any given moment. If I can put a poem down and never pick it up again, I’m happy that I didn’t force it and let it go. It’s the poems that won’t let me let them go that I think are worth finishing and worth sharing."
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“The saints, when they remember their sins, do not remember the sins but the mercy of God” - Thomas Merton: The Seven Storey Mountain
I remember just one sentence,
In a long book,
When my fingers,
Consider the spine.
The world rages in a word,
Something larger in a sentence.
Something like a question,
Like a melody,
That was pleasant once.
Asking, asking,
And even if I answer,
Asking.
I try to say:
I’ve done my part,
And left my kitchen clean.
I was careful where I went,
And somewhat careful, When I spoke.
I’ve learned to push the stone uphill,
Learned to sit alone in a quiet place,
Which is harder than it seems.
And still the question comes.
But, my heart is clean - I say.
And then, I say,
From beyond the fence of learning,
From the wilderness - or it is said:
How easy it is to keep the heart clean,
How hard to keep it full -