Making a Roux with a Poem

The art of flavor, slow time and speaking a poem out loud

Photo by emy on Unsplash

Living in the land of betwixt and between is a harrowing adventure. This “lingering Jesus” idea gets to us. We wear thin when we stay on our knees for long periods of time. I may need knee pads because this waiting gets very long.

All this pleading; all this asking; all this praying— leaves us perplexed. It is a bewildering experience to discover that Jesus seems so good at lingering in our lives.

Here’s a poem below I wrote about the lingering Jesus. But, let me ask you to go slow with this poem. Please don’t speed read a poem—never do that! Why go slow? Well, keep reading.

Poetry is a way of distilling our thoughts, words and feelings and reducing them down to a rich roux— a thickened broth that has been on the stove at a simmering, slow heat to increase the flavor within. Reading and reciting a poem is the act of dipping the spoon into the broth and raising it up and smelling it, savoring it and then, tasting it. Then, there is the sigh that comes out because the flavor of the poem has hit the stomach of the soul. It is too deep for words when you finish a good poem. It is a Eucharistic feast that satisfies our deepest longings.

A poem must be read out loud because it is the speaking of the words, spoken very slowly that brings us to life. A poem must be read out loud because, if you remember, when the Creator spoke out loud, even more creation happened—light, earth, water, us! Something happens when words are spoken out loud. Pause with my commas. Slow please with the periods. Don’t rush over the dashes. Everything matters in a poem.

First, read my poem, “Lingering Jesus.” Then, read it out loud the second time and speak it slow. Give yourself time in the speaking of the poem. Let the poem linger, just as Jesus does. Pause. Linger with the words.

I’ve found when I read a poem out loud to a group and I move through the poem with slowness, clarity and conviction; when I allow the inflexion in my voice to rise or lower with emphasis or not, then the roux happens. The poem is thick with meaning. The authors intention becomes as clear as the broth!

Remember, hurry has no blessing!