Explore every episode of the podcast SPOKEN WORD POETRY

"SILENCE" BY SHARLENE PROVILUS | www.sharleneprovilus.com | There’s a kind of silence that doesn’t come from peace; it comes from pause. It’s the stillness that sits between what was promised and what hasn’t happened yet. Silence was written for that in-between place—a reflection on the hours between Jesus’ final breath and His resurrection. It’s the space where grief still lingers, hope feels fragile, and faith is tested by waiting.

"GLORY" BY SHARLENE PROVILUS | www.sharleneprovilus.com | I love this piece because it reminds me of who God is—and who He has always been in our lives. I originally wrote it around the Easter season as part of a production. In that moment, I wanted to capture both the weight of the cross and the wonder of the resurrection.

"JUDAS" BY SHARLENE PROVILUS | www.sharleneprovilus.com | It’s easy to look at Judas and think, I’d never do what he did. But if we’re honest, our hearts slip into small betrayals all the time. The truth is, we’re more like Judas than we’d like to admit. And yet, Jesus loved him anyway—washing his feet, sharing meals, even praying for him. That same love meets us in our weakness. We don’t deserve it, but He gives it freely.

"SO STRONG" BY SHARLENE PROVILUS | www.sharleneprovilus.com | I wrote this poem years ago, and every time I read it, I’m reminded that the ache hasn't changed. Trauma taught me a version of survival that looks like armor: no tears, no rest, no asking for help. For a long time, that armor felt like safety. It felt like love. But the truth is different. Strength without rest becomes brittle. Being "the strong one" at every table cost me a home inside myself. It cost me the freedom to be soft, to be held, to admit I'm tired. This poem emerged from that place.

"ONLY UP FROM HERE" BY SHARLENE PROVILUS | www.sharleneprovilus.com | We all have moments when the floor feels like our ceiling. There were seasons when I believed my past would block everything healthy in my future. But that’s not true—not when you stay on the potter’s wheel. God has promised to finish the work He started. As we’re being formed, things get messy, but all work works—it’s either working on you or working for you. When we allow God the freedom to do His best work in our hearts, our lives eventually reflect His touch. Your story isn’t finished.

"WHAT YOU SEE" BY SHARLENE PROVILUS | www.sharleneprovilus.com | This piece is a reminder: I still have a long way to go in learning to see myself the way God sees me. For some, that shift comes more naturally. For me, it takes both hands and a whole lot of heart—and honestly, I don’t always have the stamina for it. I need to be reminded of the truth. I need to be reminded that I’m loved. I need to be reminded that I’m called, seen, and never abandoned.