Spencer Pfleiderer - Sanctuary

Spencer Pfleiderer informs us with solid earthy lines of his poem “Sanctuary” that good things come to those who wait. An ode both to patience and the living sacredness of the natural world, “Sanctuary” is a poem to make yourself a home in, cup of hot tea in hand. A perfect read for a crisp autumn morning. Spencer told The Dewdrop, “This poem is about the work of attention and the reward of persistent watching.”

Sanctuary

Three days
for the two trees to reveal themselves.

Off the front porch of the cabin
into the valley
I was watching,
watching and waiting,
in a diligent frustration,
earning the right to see.

The trees first showed themselves
to be dormant giants, awakening.

Then they unveiled themselves
as mighty sentinels, watchers,
immovable forces standing their ground,
flat faces of armored bark,
piercing eyes with no eyes.
I stood in their standing presence.
Roots going down into deep things,
some might call a soul.

Spencer Pfleiderer

Spencer Pfleiderer lives in Orlando with his wife. Together they have five children. He has been a public speaker for 35 years. He is The President and CEO of a non-profit residential life skills center serving those with substance use disorder in Orlando, FL. He is also the director of a homeless ministry that helps people downtown. Spence is an avid bicyclist and a bibliophile.