in movies i meet grand heroes,
kings and queens, villains and victims
an endless cast of characters
in myth and fairytales
again i see the plots performed
by actors playing archetypal roles
there are lovers and fools
mentors and tormentors
hermits and drunks…
around town, meeting neighbors,
friends and strangers alike
once more i see actors playing
roles as old as time
then a look in the mirror
oh, it tells the same tale!
this life - a parade of archetypes
yet is there choice?
awareness of the act?
or do the roles consume this life?
we hold each other
as we move
through our days
each on our unique paths
we meander
up and down and sideways
as we live and learn
yet throughout it all
we hold each other
we hold the goodness
of each other in safekeeping
i hold your “loving self”
and you hold mine
for a time when it may be needed
that we need reminding
to find our way again
we carry each others light
to be friends
spending time
at the hearth
of friendship
sharing in joy,
sorrow
and play
speaking
of matters
that warm
the heart
and insights
gleaned
along the way
feeling
the pulse
of life
while
we grow
older together
how good it is
to be
friends
you don’t have to go far
you don’t have to go far
in fact it’s happening now
right where you are
held, not too tight, not too loose
by gravity’s embrace
to the sacred ground beneath you
your life
on Mother Earth is supported
by wondrously interconnected forces
we are along for the ride
as our Blue Planet
orbits the Sun
and together we whirl
planets, stars, galaxies
in cosmic choreography
right where you are
you have a front row seat
to the marvels of the universe
while doing the dishes
from the hammock
“hello” i say, “how are you?”
greeting myself like a good friend
i listen
quietly
the body tells its tale
heart and mind chime in
i listen and listen
to the ever-changing flow
in the hammock of listening
we relax
find ease with each other
what was hard becomes soft again
life
looking around
on a clear night
pondering life
amongst space and stars
again i marvel at the moving parts
the atoms, orbits and cycles
the harmonious interplay of elements
and our living web of life
i marvel at this balanced world
that makes life possible
i marvel at all that had to go right
and be maintained, not only in this lifetime
but from the first whisper
of this Great Unfolding
living a human incarnation
seems to be such a rare opportunity
may i be present and open
to receive the gift of this life
surfing
“something catches the attention”
something catches the attention
pulling life out of automatic
time stops
no past, no future
just single focused alertness
flower
forest
smile
is seen
wordlessly
without classification
without possession
without the need to change it in any way
only
open
hearted
awareness
life to life
vital
inclusive
togetherness
… then
another
wave arrives
inviting us to surf
pausing and reconnecting
“without aim”
by the river
i pause without aim
and find pieces of myself
i did not even know
were missing
curiosity
“getting to know itself”
do you remember
this flavor of youth
when all was interesting?
when worlds could be found
in a puddle and anything
could become wondrous
when curiosity
gave wings to our days
we were playful experimenters
asking endless questions
keenly alive
still free
of opinions
open and innocent
schooling and culture
dampened this bright flame
yet are the slumbering
embers not worth protecting?
is curiosity not life
getting to know itself
through our hearts
reflections on water
“home”
soft
yet strong
colorless
vast and forever
life-giving
soothing, spirited, sustaining
cleansing
whilst self-purifying
endlessly yielding
yet remaining true to its nature
water, the ever-present
mother to our lives
love lessons
“softer”
quite suddenly dark clouds form
and a harsh wind rushes in
what, an instant ago,
was a sweet disposition
is now sour and sullen
through the lens of this darkness
i find faults,
now even my loved ones seem blameworthy
i have entered the state of
the Great Separation
where i stand, alone
defensive, self-righteous, filled with self-pity
if i give theater
to this temporary state
we all suffer
it is my journey
to find the way back home
from exclusion
to inclusion
remaining open,
yielding to the gift of life
takes practice and skill
with mindfulness
patience, tenderness
and humor
as companions on the playground of life
love is rediscovered
cliché
“sunset”
“Be here now”
“Live in the Moment”
it has been said
by so many and so often
that it hardly causes
pause or ponder anymore
just, the quick mental:
“yeah, right, got it”
then,
forgotten.
instantly.
how could these few words
cause real change?
in me. in you. in the world.
what does it take?
what does it take
for a momentary perception
to change our mind?
it has to push through
the weight
of all our conditions
and conditionings
it has to be seen
for the beauty of itself
for the immensity
how i wish
for you and me
for our world
to truly be
with the never-ending beauty
of the present moment
desires
“lucky dog?”
we all
want
to get
high
what causes these
high states
varies
as do the routes
taken to get there
a little study of resistance
“a little study of resistance”
this morning i find myself pondering
the bars of my cage
approaching them curiously
witnessing what happens when i ask myself:
could you give away one of your most prized possessions to a stranger today?
would you wear a bright pink wig going out shopping this afternoon?
could you have all your interactions wordlessly,
only communicating with your eyes and gestures?
for today, could you entertain the notion that everyone that didn’t share your views
was equally as right as you?
oh, and I watch my mind squirm
looking for loopholes
declaring that: “this is stupid!”
that i couldn’t possibly do this
what would others think and say of me
rationalizing myself right back into avoidance
into my safe, comfortable cage
isn't this fascinating?
the mind’s protective cage
this then, just for today
is a little study of resistance
a playful experiment
best done with a wink and a smile to self
space
“the space between”
vast
open
sky
space
surrounding
galaxies
and atomic particles
between
the notes of a melody
and our fleeting feelings
between
one fading thought
and the next
ever-present
space
the canvas to creation
subtle
empty
all-embracing
stillness
seeing the world
“unwinding”
you, dear one,
meet yourself in these words
always, you see a mirror
as you look into the world
reflecting back to you
your current state
of judgement
or lack thereof
every book you ever read
every music you ever danced to
every lover you held in your arms
you saw yourself
in the constantly changing balance
of resisting and opening to life’s tides
how i wish, for you and me
patience and gentleness on our journey
loved
“morning dew”
listen to the caress of the wind
to sunlight and dew
to the great harmonies
of this beautifully balanced world
it all is here for you
the web of fire, air, water and earth
right now it loves you
into being
in the strangest of places
“a quiet echo”
a true story
of a mindset altering moment
while traveling
on a lone highway
i encountered unexpected
bumper sticker wisdom:
“thinking is the box”
it read
now that inspires
some non-thought
just for one day...
“be together”
let’s go on a journey together
and ask ourselves…
if we would've been born
in a different country
to a different family
would we have turned out
like we are today?
would we hold
the same views and ways
of perceiving the world?
it seems highly unlikely
doesn’t it?
our views
are products
of our conditionings
it doesn’t matter
what particular views
have made their home in us
what we will do
for our views
matters
will we go to war for them?
get upset and condemn others
if they don’t share our views?
curious isn’t it?
views do not care
about you and me
about the well-being of our bodies
or about our friendships
dear one, just for one day
let’s set aside our views,
even our most treasured ones,
and be together
mistaken identity
“liminal”
often have i mistaken
the act of thinking
as the true nature of myself
mistakenly
have i identified with
the narrator within
that curates
the world
for me
the endless chatter
of daydreams and analytical thoughts,
of likes and dislikes
recurring by pure habit of mind
would it not be wise
to take a good look
at the nature of thinking
to behold the comings and goings
and quality of thoughts
now on to the “chicken and the egg”
do i create my thoughts
or do thoughts create me?
can you predict what next
will occupy your mind?