To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Catholic Poetry Room, Poetry Editor Tim Bete is offering the Kindle editions of both of his poetry collections FREE to readers of the Integrated Catholic Life website. To get your free copies, simply click on the book covers or links below. The Kindle editions will be free from Wednesday, February 19 to Sunday, February 23, 2020. As always, thank you for visiting the Catholic Poetry Room!

The Raw Stillness of Heaven

Wanderings of an Ordinary Pilgrim

The Raw Stillness of Heaven         Wanderings of an Ordinary Pilgrim

 

A sample poem from The Raw Stillness of Heaven

Where God Hides

Between the inhale and the exhale
lies a house where God dwells.

He rests in the lull
after the prayer and before the amen,

and curls up in the darkness
between the match strike and the flame.

He reclines in the crevice
made by gently-held hands

as well as in the instant
between eye-close and kiss.

Sometimes He hides in the furrows
among ripples on a pond

or in the head of a candle snuffer—
yellow glow turned to smoke.

Even a ubiquitous God
has His favorite hiding places

where He prefers to spend time
while he’s also everywhere else.

 

Reviews

“Beautiful and very accomplished. There’s a spareness about the language and a quietness which makes these poems excellent vehicles for reflection and prayer.”
— Sally Read, poet and author of Night’s Bright Darkness

“Simply incredible! As someone who has arranged Catholic pilgrimages for three decades, I can confidently say Tim captures the deeply personal and transformational journey that is a pilgrimage.”
— Milanka Lachman, LCHS, President & Owner, 206 Tours

 

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