the moment of freedom

 

“take a breath . . .”

how do i meet the arrival
of the emotions that are difficult to bear?

will the trance of anger, greed, doubt . . .
cause the temporary loss of reason
or can peace prevail?

in the space between trigger and response 
is where my possibilities are still infinite
before the hasty word is spoken, the unkind act unleashed

so take a breath
and another  . . .

cherish the moment of freedom of the space between
cherish the ability to choose
a response that aligns with my dearest values

it is in these small moments
that the quality of all our lives are shaped

 

the language of emotions

 

“messengers”


draw nearer to yourself
and listen

to the messengers
that arrive, one by one

the emissaries and high counselors
that come to you, speaking

in the language of emotions
about the state of your heart

hoping to catch your attention
in this crowded, vexing world

they whisper and shout
about joy and sadness

and hundreds of flavors,
asking to be heard

all carrying the messages
of needs

so, draw nearer to yourself
be still and
listen

 

in the garden of the heart

 

“flaring briefly, brightly”

imagine, each emotion as a flower
in the garden of the heart

budding, blooming 
fading away

each a seven-second life
of its very own

flaring briefly,
brightly

in all imaginable shapes
and shades of white and pink, 

fiery reds, yellows, deep purples 
and the palest of blues . . .

how many lived and flourished
in your heart just today?

do you know them by name?
welcome them all the same?

 

all is not the same for all

 

“red berries remind me”

on a winter’s day
a warm breeze holds
the promise of spring

and as my senses drink in the world
i wonder: is my red the same as yours?
is the chickadee’s call the same for you?

red berries remind me
that all is not the same for all
that we see what we have learned to see

that each of us is a unique lens, a facet of the whole
that is gathering and reflecting light back
into the Mystery

 

bleep

 

“advocating wellness”

there is a four letter word
i am advocating to bleep
out of my vocabulary

no, no
not the sailor mouth words
that add occasional emphasis

this little word i have in my gaze
it is more insidious, destructive and 
soul sucking

so, give me a B
give me a U
and an S

have you guessed it yet?
finish off, this little insult to happiness,
with a Y

and voilà, - we have busy
often: too busy to listen,
to play, to rest and to live well

may i replace busy with 
another four letter word:
well 

so that when asked: how are you?
the answer shifts from a slightly irritated: I am busy!
to an honest: I am well . . . Thank you!

 

reflections

 

“know thyself”

made of stardust
you and me, i often forget

to reflect in stillness
the perennial ponder of:
“know thyself”

how much do i know this stardust body?
with its ever-changing emotional weather systems,
its mental patterns that can stay subtle, or atrophy
and its clockwork cycles and rhythms

do i know my natural strength and talents?
my likes and dislikes, many caused 
by the conditioning of this culture

do i know how to be free?
and belong to self-elected values
to find that which is indestructible within

perennial ponders
stardust to stardust
amongst all this empty space in the universe

 

How are you?

 

“wholehearted”

“How are you?”

three short words
so often spoken

usually directed outward
often asked in passing

but what if, we turned
these words inward?

asking them with warmth
and wholehearted interest:

How are you . . . body of mine?
How are you . . . my heart and feeling life?
How are you . . . my thoughts and mental processes?

and paused and patiently listened . . .

then these three words 
could become the opening 
to a fine internal conversation

bringing ourselves back
into the here and now

 

the hearth of kindness

 

“the hearth”

may my life never stray far from kindness

for do we not all flourish when nurtured by kindness?

does kindness not reach across distances and divides,
healing our loneliness and misperceptions?

given freely, without cleverness or calculation,
asking nothing in return 
kindness becomes a simple way of life

may my life always return
to the hearth of kindness

 

stay tuned

with weekly free musings

Donate

thank you for supporting kind lens