16 Comments
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Alexander Birch's avatar

I love the repetition that slowly builds o. It’s self. “…drown it. Drown it out. Drown it out before…”

There’s something almost chiastic about this poem too, and I love it.

Ali Earthman's avatar

I appreciate your attention to detail. Thanks, Alexander!

Bethany McIlrath's avatar

Loved this, Ali!! Made me grateful for stillness and silence again, when I am so tempted to always fill it with other things.

Ali Earthman's avatar

Thank you, my friend!! <3

Laura Lynch's avatar

Ooh! I love that! Makes me want to sit in silence for a really long time just to make that devil mad! Thank you for this beautiful poem!

Ali Earthman's avatar

I love that takeaway! 😆 Thank you for reading!

Laura Lynch's avatar

🤩

Cari Johnson's avatar

this was amazing. I feel like I need to go turn my phone off and sit in a dark room in stillness now

Ali Earthman's avatar

That sounds lovely.

Diane Frisone's avatar

Wow!

Justin Gielski's avatar

As some who struggles to sit still this hits hard!

Ali Earthman's avatar

I seriously struggle with it too. I’m so glad this resonated with you!

Charlie Rauh's avatar

Love this

Ali Earthman's avatar

Thank you, Charlie!

Rev. Kevin T. Taylor's avatar

Ali, the line that lingered with me is, “Satan loves a saint who cannot sit in silence.” In a culture that rewards constant stimulation, productivity, and distraction, your poem reads almost like a spiritual diagnosis. What makes it especially powerful is that the silence is not portrayed as empty; it is portrayed as the place where we finally encounter the truths we have been avoiding and the God who has been waiting for us there all along. I also appreciate how the poem moves from conviction to invitation. The final call is not toward guilt or striving, but toward the faithful God who already knows every fear, every need, and every ragged breath. Thank you for offering such a timely reminder that stillness is not the absence of God's activity; it is often where we become most aware of His presence.

Jillian Kondamudi's avatar

This was lovely, Ali. Love that you turned a thought into a poem. So creative!