RALEIGH, N.C. — Tom Morse doesn’t feel that he’s earned the title of poet. But he does write poetry and has felt particularly inspired during this St. Francis jubilee year. It’s a craft he’s been working at since 1968 when he started high school.
“After college, I continued to write poetry in my free time,” he told NC Catholics. “One afternoon, I went to the mailbox and was pleasantly surprised to find a letter from one of my aunts. My mom had told her of my writing, and my aunt challenged me to join her in a writing journey. We corresponded for years, building poems together and sharing what we had written.”
Morse became a corporate communicator and spent much of his professional career following a style guide.
During COVID he became a caregiver to his wife Andrea Lynn, who was living with Alzheimer’s. With more free time, he began to take his writing, and the creativity that came with it, more seriously. Crafting poems, he said, became like a jigsaw or Sudoku puzzle.
Lately he’s found a quiet place to gather his thoughts at his home parish, St. Francis of Assisi in Raleigh. He sometimes writes in the memorial garden there, where his wife, who died in 2025, is interred in the church’s columbarium. “It gives me an opportunity to talk through ideas with Andrea Lynn, and I try my best to follow her advice,” he shared.
His recent works have been about the life of St. Francis, healing, hummingbirds and even a black snake named Sammy who doesn’t much care for his name.
“I jokingly refer to my collection of poems as an eclectic body of work. In other words, my poetry covers just about any topic you can think of. I write for the simple joy of writing,” Morse shared. “I hope readers of my poem, The Spirit of Saint Francis, rediscover the joyful life of this charismatic Italian friar. Moved by our Lord to begin the work of rebuilding his church, Francis did as most of us would, by beginning to repair physical walls. Gradually, God’s message became clear, and rebuilding the church became a more spiritual mission. That’s the journey each of us is on as we try our best to live our best faith-centered lives.”
Poems by Tom Morse
Copyright 2026
The Spirit of Saint Francis
Poem image (JPG)
In the stillness of the chapel,
His spirit lifted up in prayer,
Our Lord moved the heart of Francis,
“Go, for My church you must repair.”
He gathered stones to rebuild walls,
The foundation already laid,
A cornerstone in Christ Jesus,
For us, our debts forever paid.
Francis opened both hearts and minds,
Joyfully proclaiming The Word,
God’s Troubadour sang songs of praise,
Awakened, faithful hearts were stirred.
Be praised, O Lord, for night and day,
For Sister Moon and Brother Sun,
Guided by the Holy Spirit,
We follow your most blesséd Son.
From Assisi, the good news spread,
Across our Sister Mother Earth,
Praising God’s sacred creation,
And renewing your holy church.
This Franciscan Jubilee Year,
Our hearts ascend on wingéd prayer,
Enlightened by the Seraphim,
We find our greatest treasure there.
The Canticle of Healing
Poem image (JPG)
Most high, all-powerful, loving Lord,
Let every creature praise Your name —
For holy forests, fields, and streams,
See faithful hearts aflame.
We rise each day to Brother Sun,
While high above us on the wing —
Our feathered sisters freely soar,
Blessed with songs to sing.
Saint Francis calls us to awaken,
To protect our Sister Earth with care —
For every creature, great and small,
Is a gift, a living, breathing prayer.
With joyful hearts we tend the ground,
And watch the sleeping seeds awaken —
For love can heal our common home,
And leave no living thing forsaken.
Praise be to You for those who sow
The seeds of justice across the earth —
Who nurture our most precious home,
And give Your holy plans new birth.
This Franciscan Jubilee Year,
We walk with Francis, small and blessed —
May every wound of selfishness,
Find healing in Your blesséd rest.