Charles Finn

Contemplatively Sweet: Slow-down Poems to Ponder Charles Finn

The poems in Contemplatively Sweet incline more towards being than becoming. They are slow-down, pondering poems, coaxing the reader to mull and muse andsavor. While arranged in the order they were written, there is no "story line" with either beginning or end. The reader is invited to stop and linger whereverher or his heart is drawn. Webster's definition of "contemplate" is "to gaze attentively, to look at intently, to study carefully, to meditate or muse, sometimes specifically in a mystical or religious way." Contrary to the judgment of our extroverted culture that such apparent non-activity is non-productive, irrelevant, escapist or worse, this collection of poetry holds the exact opposite. Contemplation is not only good for the soul but eminently practical, adding depth, as it does, to the quality of our work and to the caring of our relationships. It is also, for one cultivating the interior life, inexpressibly sweet. Plentiful in the pages of Contemplatively Sweet are references to and quotes from other contemplative kin. One of the great joys on the spirit journey is continuously discovering new riches, and then sharing the wealth.