Poem: I am alone in the desert – Sayah (3)

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III presents his final poem before entering monastic life — one of his most profound expressions of longing for solitude and detachment from the world, titled “Alone in the Wilderness.” The poem marks a deep spiritual transformation toward the life of monasticism and spiritual wandering.

🌿 Prelude to Monasticism:
The Pope explains that this poem was published in the first month of his monastic life, as if it were an inner declaration of his departure from the world and his commitment to a new journey fully devoted to God. Its words echo the soul’s call for true freedom in Him.

🕯 Features of the Poem:
He writes: “Alone in the wilderness, I care not for others; I have a burrow in the clefts of the hill, where I hide my dwelling.” This imagery expresses total renunciation and trust in God alone — a sacred retreat hidden in nature’s silence.

🌄 Spiritual Exile:
He describes himself as “wandering in the wilderness from village to village,” meaning he lives in constant movement, not toward an earthly goal but toward heaven, never settling because his rest is found only in God who dwells within him.

💫 Spiritual Meaning:
The poem reveals a deep desire for solitude and silence — the spirit of a wanderer who left everything behind to live in God’s presence. It is the confession of a soul that chose to be a stranger to the world to be nearer to eternity.

📖 Spiritual Message:
Through this poem, we learn that the call to monastic life is not merely a decision but a divine longing that draws the soul into union with God. Estrangement from the world becomes the path to divine knowledge and true peace.