“wings”
does my heart have to harden with fear and pain
when meeting the violent and vile?
the poor, or the wretched?
outcasts of society can be found far and near
whether face to face,
or by mere hearsay
every time i witness darkness
does my mind and have to recoil?
how narrow, ever shrinking
life then becomes, cutting myself off from kin
building the cage of self confinement
who holds the keys to the
responses of my heart and mind?
who has my wings…
“ a quiet pause”
Love, this right here
this very moment is it
this is where the magic happens,
the connection to the thread of life
the raw, the great quiet …
however it unfolds
not somewhere down the road,
nor long ago - life is here
wanting to be touched
so make a clearing in the jumble of self
open, still, courageous, patient
sense the touch of life
“hey, you!”
there’s been a party going on
within me, all my life
guests streaming in through my open door,
day and night, bringing friends along
Doubt has come to visit
Fear paid her respects
Joy lingered and
Love left her scarf behind
i have to admit,
i have been a most absentminded host
daydreaming and preoccupied
with visitors past, and those yet to come
that i have rarely noticed
who’s sitting at my table now
well, well, . . .
where are my manners?
may i bring some fresh libations,
pull up a chair and listen well
for a good heart to heart
“spring stirs”
morning air brings
in the spring
the land stirs and dances
to the music of change
a meeting
of old and new
in fullness the land receives
and in fullness the land releases
following suit
i rejoice
“leaning towards…”
can i control the rising of the sun?
the aging of my limbs?
how others choose to think of me?
what then is up to me?
my views
my words
my actions
where i direct my attention
from moment to moment
knowing this
brings peace and purpose
“softer, like water…”
what are these musings?
these waves of words
arriving on my shores
they are
continual
gentle
reminders
that life is a gift
yours, mine - this very moment
a mystery
a grace
an opportunity
to learn to love
freely
spontaneously
wholeheartedly
loving life
in all it’s colors
“pathless”
there is a beauty to this quiet watching
to witness
the formations
of rationalizing,
of avoidance and laziness,
the quick to judge,
self aggrandizing,
eager greed,
and anger at the ready
there is a beauty to this quiet watching
and to no longer look away
to see the state within
rather than only
in “the others”
the problems of this world
start so close to home
sobering
to no longer hide
to enter a pathless land
of mercy
and love
“side by side”
here you are
both of you, side by side,
working and playing
your daily activities - innumerable
be it pulling on a sock,
washing a teacup, petting the dog
watching you i am awed,
as you skillfully anticipate
each other’s next move
always in support, never in competition
how curious that an example of
harmony and purposeful togetherness
can be found right at my fingertips…
thank you
hands!
“diversity and unity”
life is pulsing
arising, living, dying
sparks
from formless
to form
from form
to formless
transformation
everywhere
the mind imagines,
it witnesses
in this palace of diversity
and unity
“dawn clouds”
this morning i woke up grumpy
i knew that something else
was needed to jive with the gifts of life
thankfully a flock of silly thoughts
came to perch - cackling about gratitude
one silly thought said:
“thankfully our feet still reach the ground”
“yeah”, another chimed in, “and aren’t you glad our heart
hasn’t become an improvisational jazz player overnight?”
a third one eagerly offered:
“… or that we didn’t wake up with a boil on our nose”
and they went on and on
trying to outdo each other
to my delight
grumpiness
lifted like morning fog
“flow and resistance”
with patience
there is space
to slow down
to rest and relax
till ease arrives
in my body
with patience
there is space
to endure
to navigate difficult terrain
until compassion fills
my heart again
with patience
there is space
to be alert
to contemplate more deeply
until clarity emerges
in my mind
with patience
i offer less resistance
to the flowing energy of life
“enter here”
a wise man used to tell me:
“alter your stride and meet a stranger”
at first i though:
what an odd statement
and soon forgot
but he kept repeating
these seven little words:
“alter your stride and meet a stranger”
taking the quote quite literally
i played
with “the ministry of silly walks”
and to my surprise,
in sidestepping the known
a gate opened
and dawn arrived
would i have believed,
upon first hearing these seven little words
that they were the keys to my freedom?
“voices in the forest”
your true needs
do you know them?
do you follow their songs
into the tangled woods
until they perch in your cupped hands
raw and shining
these boisterous visitors,
coming from the shores of the body,
heart, mind and spirit
do you know them well enough
to live in harmony?
“slumbering”
may i become aware
of intentions
slumbering
and already circulating
through my life
seeing the power
of their persuasions
intentions,
the seeds of my future deeds,
may they bring peace
and not a life of exhaustion,
running on an ever spinning
hamster wheel
“lighting the way”
celebrate
your life
yes,
celebrate the wondrous
oft forgotten
divine spark
that lives within you
it has been with you throughout
all your follies and growing pains
it does not look upon you
as imperfect
it loves
in vast all enduring stillness
if only you could see yourself
like it sees you
you would laugh
at yourself
and there would be peace on earth
“out of practice”
when we meet again
let’s not talk too much
about the town’s gossip
or our hurt egos
we are out of practice
having conversations
that nurture the soul
of the world
let us talk about
about the Path
of beauty and stillness,
the mysteries of life
let us sit
together
in companionable silence
healing and loving
“undivided attention”
i still need training wheels
for this wandering mind of mine
to welcome all sounds with
undivided attention
open, with good humor
sans expectations, like or dislike
this is
quite an art
being present
neutral and un-rattle-able
welcoming your voice
like the earth receives the rain
“in gratitude . . .”
you,
reading this
right now
thank you,
for your presence
your kind attention
thank you,
for your encouragement
words written, spoken and unspoken
all your support over the years
may these musings
bring us closer
to ourselves, to what we hold dear
through a pause,
a spark, the gate
of a smile
there already is kinship
sensed and nurtured
as we each walk our path
in gratitude i
thank you!
“before me a glittering sphere”
before me life
like a jewel
asking
to be lived
asking
which part will you play
this time in the Great Game of Life?
where we all wear masks
where we all play roles
remember,
once in a while,
to question the rules set by man
to question everything
especially when it comes to
seriousness and righteousness
then return to play, knowingly
in emerald fields
with gusto and sincerity
“an intimate affair”
it is an intimate affair
between you and beauty
opening
all your senses
resting in its presence
long enough
making yourself tender
once more
marveling
beauty is everywhere
sunbeams, peeling paint
stillness, creativity, forgiveness …
your immeasurable heart
can hold all
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