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Poem in Ruah: A Journal of Spiritual Poetry published by Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley, California USA. http://popruah.opwest.org/ My poem, "Poetic Recitation on the Rule of St. Benedict" is on page 30 in this 2007 edition.

The Poem

Attend with the ear of your heart

Listen in the silence

at night or daytime

through trials and living.

This Rule brings God, the Lord

closer: do so to me.

Labor of obedience

Before beginning a good work, pray earnestly,

We are the Lord's counted

sons and daughters.

The path offers good gifts,

open your eyes to the light.

Arise from sleep.

The Rule proffers the voice

from heaven this day.

--Peter Menkin