What Do You Get a Cloistered Postulant for Her Birthday?

Many mornings during each week I find myself at St. Clare's Monastery for Lauds  at 7am and Liturgy at 7:30. It's a wonderful start to my mornings which I will share about sometime soon.

After  this last Christmas,  a new person appeared on the Sister's side of the chapel. And in a community as small as St. Clare's, she stood out. Young. She was not in a habit...which told me that she was probably a Postulant; that is someone searching for God's will for her in Cloistered life.

Not too many weeks into her presence there, she crossed the chapel to me (WOW!) and presented me with a beautifully soft scarf that she had knitted.... "I love looking at your scarves each day and when I started knitting I knew this one was for you."

I can't begin to tell you how that touched my heart.  Seriously. Someone I had only waved "Peace" to across the chapel had made me something special...that took time and work.

I was able to ask the Abbess the Postulant's name. "Annemarie. But we call her Annie." she had said with a smile. So, I had a name for a thank you note.
Since then, Annie and I have exchanged letters, notes, nods, smiles, laughter across the chapel...words on social media (yeah, no kidding!) and recently some conversation.

We also discovered that we share a birthday week. Another July baby!
Now really, one can't celebrate one's birthday with cake, dinner out at a restaurant, and balloons, from inside a Cloister,  so I've searched for something that I could do that would be my version of my lovely, warm scarf.

A month or so ago, as I was leaving the monastery, I heard singing...not people, but a bird. I stood and watched and listened for quite some time. I grabbed my phone to capture a few pictures. Not great, but the song and the sight stayed with me. So... this is for Annie...on her birthday...which is tomorrow...in thanks for her friendship, prayers, smiles and caring.


The Monastery Mockingbird
hops about the lawn,
listening intently
at the Chapel window.
    She hears the prayers,
    has learned the words,
    feels the Spirit,
    sitting tall on the cross of Christ.

In a flash of dark and white,
in habit,
she flies out -
Extern to the world-
Praying as she goes.
   Bold, -- insistent upon sharing
   what she knows of Christ's love-
   she's memorized the Psalm, the verse,
   the intention, the Call.

Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Spreading Cloister Calm in prayer
as Jubilant canticle to the world-
   Beyond the wall...the gate...
   the lawn
   from where her Sisters kneel.

(Blessed Birthday, Annie! Amen! Amen! I say to you!)