the deepening ground

Ever since I listened to Malcolm Guite’s YouTube post on November 23rd, 2024, I’ve been pondering what he shared about music and silence and noise as inspired by Sophie Jones. (You should listen to BOTH presentations!) For me, it immediately inspired the thought, “Wouldn’t that make for a great villanelle!” Of course, the concept of crafting a “great villanelle” usually atrophies in the light of such monumental villanelles as “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas and, one of my favorites, Elizabeth Bishop’s “One Art.” I knew that I wanted to stay more true to the form with ten syllables per line and complete repetitions of the refrain lines (unlike what Bishop does in her poem). One could say that I set myself up for failure. But I’m persistent.

After an initial session of drafting the poem one Wednesday night at Dunkin’ across from my friend James as he worked on structuring his next piece of detective fiction, I was disgruntled. (And the coffee didn’t help.) It wasn’t working. I didn’t like the refrain lines. A few nights of writing before falling asleep in bed, and I had two lines that worked. Over the next few lunches, while I “monitored” students playing volleyball, ping pong, and cornhole in the gym, I drafted a second version of the poem, only salvaging a few lines from the initial draft. This I took to a gathering of fellow poets where the fifth stanza came under scrutiny. Thanks to some constructive feedback and encouragement, I arrived at what follows. Inspired by some of my own life struggles, it’s become my prayer, like the prayer/poem attributed to Sir Francis Drake, “Disturb Us, Lord.” As we enter into this final week before Christmas and the final days of this calendar year, may you know “the grace of silence and song.”

The Grace of Silence and Song

By Vincent H. Anastasi 2024

Grant me the grace of heavenly silence
when tyrant waves of noise berate my soul;
let Your music be my life’s resilience.

When wounding words wear away my patience
and noisome vengeance seeks to gain control,
grant me the grace of heavenly silence.

When dolor’s door swings wide, teasing entrance,
and sorrow crows a promise to console,
let Your music be my life’s resilience.

When puffing praise vaunts my dim existence
and babel baits me to myself extol,
grant me the grace of heavenly silence.

When promised lands are troubled by giants
and malefic taunts take their weighty toll,
let Your music be my life’s resilience.

Yes, let our anthems transcend the violence
disrupting discord’s dissonant gambol.
Grant us the grace of heavenly silence;
let Your music be our lives’ resilience.