José Tolentino Mendonça

José Tolentino Mendonça is a Portuguese poet who was born on the Atlantic island of Madeira. He spent his childhood in Angola — a Portuguese colony up until he was nine (1975), when his family returned to Madeira. He has served as a priest, teacher, and chaplain at the Catholic University in Lisbon, has held multiple visiting professorships at two Jesuit-led schools in Brazil, and is now a Cardinal at the Vatican.

Mendonça is the author of at least thirteen poetry collections in Portuguese, his first published in 1990. He was a Straus Fellow at New York University during the academic year 2011-2012. His poetic subject-matter is more often secular than religious, and yet images of faith creep in, such as in the poem “The Childhood Of Herberto Helder” where he begins,
--------“In the beginning was the island
--------although it's said
--------that the Spirit of God
--------hugged the waters”

In 2025, Cardinal Tolentino de Mendonça won the Eduardo Lourenço Prize for his contribution to contemporary Portuguese culture and his role as an intellectual, humanist and poet.

The following poem was translated by Ana Hudson.

Eschatology

And, at last, God returns
full of intimacy and unexpectedness
contemplated already from centuries above
humble measure of a verbal silence
we thought destined to be lost
See God climbing the steep path
that we have paced a thousand times
and stop to wait without impatience
meek as a sick lamb
Which one of us is the other’s shadow?
Even if no pity preserves the maps
we’ll come down close behind
rampant and empty
like a tree trunk

This post was suggested by Irish poet Gerard Smyth.

Entry written by D.S. Martin. He is the author of six poetry collections including Angelicus (2021, Poiema/Cascade), plus three anthologies — available through Wipf & Stock. His new book The Role of the Moon, inspired by the Metaphysical Poets, is now available from Paraclete Press.

N.F.S. Grundtvig

N.F.S. Grundtvig (1783—1872) is a Danish poet, pastor, educator, hymnwriter, philosopher, politician (serving as a member of the Danish Constituent Assembly), and historian. He is extremely important in Denmark as a nationalist, social reformer, Lutheran theologian, and for his establishing of folk high schools. His style of writing, and his limiting references, made him unlikely to draw much attention from an international audience, and yet he is consider one of the most influential people in Danish history.

Nicolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig (pronounced Groont-vi) was active in what is considered Denmark’s Golden Age — the first half of the 19th century. His output was impressive, writing in a wide range of fields, such as with his The First World Chronicle (1812) an outline of the history of belief in God, including his criticisms of many prominent Danes. His book-length historical poem Rhyme of Roskilde appeared in 1813. He published many theological works, regularly preached sermons, published a collection of sacred poetry (Song Work for the Danish Church), edited and translated the Anglo-Saxon poem "The Phoenix", and translated Beowulf into Danish (1820).

As a tribute to him, the Neo-Gothic expressionist Grundtvig's Church in Copenhagen was designed by Danish architect Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint, and was completed in 1940.

A Simple, Cheerful Active Life On Earth

A simple, cheerful, active life on earth,
A cup I’d not exchange for monarch’s chalice,
In noble forebears’ tracks a path since birth,
With equal dignity in hut and palace,
With eye as when created heav’nward turned,
All beauty here and grandness keenly knowing,
Familiar though with those things deeply yearned,
Stilled only by eternity’s bright glowing.

I wished for all my line just such a life,
And zealously I planned for its fruition,
And when my soul grew tired from toil and strife,
The ‘Lord’s Prayer’ was its rest and its nutrition.
Then from truth’s spirit I great comfort gained,
And felt joy hover o’er each garden border,
When dust is placed in its creator’s hand
And all is waited for in nature’s order:

Just fresh, green buds that sprout in early spring,
And in the summer heat the flowers’ profusion;
And when the plants mature and long to bring
Their harvest fruit to autumn’s full conclusion!
The human span assigned is short or long,
It is for common weal, its yield is growing;
The day that started well will end as strong,
And just as sweet will be its afterglowing.

Entry written by D.S. Martin. He is the author of six poetry collections including Angelicus (2021, Poiema/Cascade), plus three anthologies — available through Wipf & Stock. His new book The Role of the Moon, inspired by the Metaphysical Poets, is now available from Paraclete Press.

Claudia Lee Hae-in

Claudia Lee Hae-in is a South Korean Catholic Nun who’s published eighteen poetry collections, beginning with The Land of Dandelions (1976). She’s sold almost two million copies of her poetry books, and her name has been raised during considerations for the Nobel Prize.

In 2008, she had a serious bout with rectal cancer — and in 2015, a news report circulated that she had died, and her “last poem” was widely shared. Reports of her death, as Mark Twain once quipped, were greatly exaggerated. Lee said, “I could forgive the fake news, but I can’t go easy on the fake poem.”

According to The Korea Times, “She affirms that her literary insights have been transformed through praying to Jesus.”

Balloon Flower

How thin and beautiful is the summer dress you wear,
delighting me with your violet fragrance!
Soaked in cold dewdrops, you whisper so shyly.
As you gather innocent glances of love in your heart,
a round smile blooms on your silent lips.
Even if passing time leaves nothing
But tears to daunt my mind,
I wish to spend my whole life in prayer
as mild as your humble smiles.
How could you come so unexpectedly
from an unknown country so far away?
Some other day, will you bloom on my tomb
to recite a prayer or two for my wandering soul?

Entry written by D.S. Martin. He is the author of six poetry collections including Angelicus (2021, Poiema/Cascade), plus three anthologies — available through Wipf & Stock. His new book The Role of the Moon, inspired by the Metaphysical Poets, is now available from Paraclete Press.