I Will Live as a Monk in the World – Christine Valters Paintner

I awaken early as usual,
have my little pot of breakfast and feed the dog,
then she makes circles and squeals,
knowing what is next. 

Morning prayer, walking the canal and river,
quiet before the city hums,
she stops every few feet to sniff
messages left for her on blades of grass
and tree trunks,

and I wonder at the messages 
imprinted here for me too,
a feather floating,
a leaf on my path,
an acorn fallen.

I pray with my feet, 
smell dawn’s freshness,
the possibility of here and now,
the swan glides up the water
and the duck quacks a warning 
to his companions, 

the blackbird does what he must do
and I return home singing amen.

~Christine Valters Paintner, What Enters Through the Open Heart (Monkfish Publishing, 2026)