I.
Into the sunlight I awaken,
into the dread. How to shelter
my heart from the hammering
voices?
How to heed
Rilke’s call to be your own
shimmering vase—liquid roses,
your own incomparable
thread.
Since 1900, the Christian Century has published reporting, commentary, poetry, and essays on the role of faith in a pluralistic society.
© 2026 The Christian Century.
Winter Fragments
I.
Into the sunlight I awaken,
into the dread. How to shelter
my heart from the hammering
voices?
How to heed
Rilke’s call to be your own
shimmering vase—liquid roses,
your own incomparable
thread.
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