Read

"Chaff"

Published:
January 9, 2024
November 2, 2020
Read "Chaff", a poem about death and then being purified and refined.|Read "Chaff", a poem about death and then being purified and refined.

In the end, when it is all over,
when the fire has burned out,
and the breath of the world returns in one swift gasp,
Only then will I trust you,
Only then will I let you light the spark that will burn forever in my soul.

Only then, when announced to me by your messenger,
the word of my own baptism in fire,
will my remaining spirit say,
"please, let it be done unto me whatever you will",
"let it be your way not mine",
Burn the chaff from my body
and save the inner child longing to hold your hand.

Pluck the roots out of my heart that were not planted by you,
and allow my heart to inflame with the love of my forebears,
the ones who bore the earth upon their knees.

Allow your mother to swaddle me up and bring me into your presence
when I am finally ready to join my burning heart to yours.

Creators:
Sarah Stovicek
Published:
January 9, 2024
November 2, 2020
On a related note...
How Live Music Can Inspire Our Imagination

How Live Music Can Inspire Our Imagination

Grace Spiewak

What We Might Be Missing When We Think About Chastity

What We Might Be Missing When We Think About Chastity

Mike Tenney

Grotto Talks with Mark Wahlberg about His Faith

Grotto Talks with Mark Wahlberg about His Faith

Grotto

Podcast S1 | Ep. 6: Air Guitars and a Useless Monk

Podcast S1 | Ep. 6: Air Guitars and a Useless Monk

Grotto

Free Download: Original Art Prints for Last-Minute Christmas Gifts

Free Download: Original Art Prints for Last-Minute Christmas Gifts

Grotto

3 Things I Never Knew About Homelessness

3 Things I Never Knew About Homelessness

Hannah Smith

Free Download: #ABetterLight Journaling Challenge

Free Download: #ABetterLight Journaling Challenge

Grotto

Teaching English and Building Community with Immigrants

Teaching English and Building Community with Immigrants

Grotto

What Grief Is Teaching Me About Control and Surrender

What Grief Is Teaching Me About Control and Surrender

Sophie Caldecott

What Makes the BIG EAST Special

What Makes the BIG EAST Special

Grotto

8 Movies to Help You Spring into Easter

8 Movies to Help You Spring into Easter

Maria Walley

Finding Myself in a New Country

Finding Myself in a New Country

Andrea Nuñez

Restoring Beauty to American Flags

Restoring Beauty to American Flags

Grotto

Jesus' Favorite Podcast EP 7: Fighting For A Cause With Alexia Dukes

Jesus' Favorite Podcast EP 7: Fighting For A Cause With Alexia Dukes

Grotto, Ebony Moxey, Javi Zubizarreta

Salesian Priests Give Hope to Victims of Sex Trafficking

Salesian Priests Give Hope to Victims of Sex Trafficking

Mary Rose Somarriba

"Forgotten by February"

"Forgotten by February"

Grace Poppe

3 Ways to Help Foster Kids — Without Becoming a Parent

3 Ways to Help Foster Kids — Without Becoming a Parent

Grace Wirth

Jesus' Favorite Podcast EP 6: Feeding Faith with Kevin Gillespie

Jesus' Favorite Podcast EP 6: Feeding Faith with Kevin Gillespie

Ebony Moxey, Javi Zubizarreta

4 Ways to Respond When Your Goals Feel Out of Reach

4 Ways to Respond When Your Goals Feel Out of Reach

Robert Christian

What I Learned From Burying My Pet Ferret

What I Learned From Burying My Pet Ferret

Eric Clayton

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.