Poem to St. Simeon the Stylite

Poem to St. Simeon the Stylite

Already a pillar of virtue

You ascended one to reflect The Light

Living atop your stony outpost

In ceaseless days and unending nights

Giving away possessions and goods, 

You counted it not worth the loss

Mounting that mammoth rock

As if it were your Cross

You climbed atop this tower 

just as Moses Mt. Sinai did 

To see the Living God 

And not to keep Him hid

By dwelling atop that column 

That e’er reached toward the heavens,

Your spiritual abode was solemn 

And shone with light of angels

Exposed to the grievous elements:

Wind, rain, and mighty storm

Like Elijah, you found a place of warmth 

with God inside your heart

For that pinnacle abode 

became a place satisfaction,

As you lived and praised eternally the Lord, 

Elevated nearer heaven

Your preaching, prayers, and fasting,

Atop that column high

Caused those below to listen

And fixate upon the sky

For on this day we magnify 

 Simeon from atop his tiny nook

And his Old Testament counterpart

The Prophet Habakkuk

Archpriest John Memorich

September 1, 2020