Haiku
Flow is not working
Paradox of opposites
Oxymoron sky
~
And then some
~
There is sense to a flow
that gives to a natural ease
When going with the flow
finds calm in each moment
.
Till the application of Hard comes
And what was finding ease
Finds velocity by disruption
.
or maybe worse
.
Stagnation pools at your feet
wrapped in a morbid stench
of passivity going no-where
This pantoum poem is from a prompt from Christine, The Abbess of www.Abbeyofthearts.com . The prompt is: A reflective question: Where do you find space for silence and solitude so that you can listen to whisperings within?
Those of you that visit my poetry blog have probably noticed I have a ‘thing’ for pantoums. There is this magic that happens for me when I write them. I don’t know where each line will pull me in the repeat, and then I get to return to where I started from in the end. I don’t edit much, if at all. They are kinda what just happens for me in the journey of them. Again, that’s how I find some magic and revealing of something a little deeper for myself.
Anyway… I hope you enjoy this one.
GIVING PAUSE
.
Silent whispers pause yearning to be heard
In the Down beat, in the up beat, in the heart beat
Wrapped in quietude there is wait for the soft voice
Settling, slowing, allowing the deep listening
.
In the down beat, in the up beat, in the heart beat
That silence between beat and pause glistens
Settling, slowing, allowing the deep listening
The now in the forever after always waits
.
That silence between beat and pause glistens
There is radiance in the soft voice of the heart
The now in the forever after always waits
You continue to be the One Spirit is waiting for
.
There is radiance in the soft voice of the heart
A pause for breath’s chance to deepen the attention
You continue to be the One Spirit is waiting for
What better time can there ever be than right now
.
A pause for breath’s chance to deepen the attention
Wrapped in quietude there is wait for the soft voice
What better time can there ever be than right now
Silent whispers pause, yearning to be heard
A futile No rises to all that is Yes
When the battered down starves
The slow climb back to the good self
.
Such thirst for that dried cracked tongue
That has let silence erode life’s sweetness
Drained the landscape of the self, desert dry
.
If only the clouds could burst from
Eyes that lost their tears long ago
Despair took all the wet hope of Yes away
.
The river is not that far of a crawl
Let that last stir of Yes stand you tall
And run naked from the barren hostile
.
Of your doubt and terror that holds you
Hostage, make the relent a heart’s truth
Lay your Yes against fear’s hard No
.
Rises to the Yes that has always marked
The Champions highest quest
To the Grail that’s never been
.
Further away than right here
Close to the soul’s truth and
The promise of every moment
In the cave dark and deep
Cold gives lies to what is thought lost
The heat of the heart was pulled
to the North where winter held her
Hostage to the frigid deceit
.
A flickered shiver of a flame
on a breath of a whisper of green
Takes in the inhale of Spring
remembering the call of the Sun
.
Pushing up from the dark and deep
On hands and knees crawling
on ancient bed rock out reaching
for the light. Pulled to the east
with morning’s waking yawn
.
And you stand up tired of sleep
Tired of of the dark cold cave
Raising open arms like buds
unfolding to the Sun’s illumination
In the quick blind, on the first
inhale of life’s arousal back to yourself
Wholy Grail.
Make all your days Good
Each moment a resurrection
The Full moon rises
Filed under ANN ARBOR, APRIL FOOL, BE HERE NOW, Blood MOON, full moon, MICHIGAN POET, Resurrection, SPRING
Wholy Grail.
This is a summer of gathering
letting go, remembering,
moving, finding a new groove
This is summer of fear found
fear release, surrendering.
making space for new possibilities
This is a summer of edges
pushed, hanging on for dear life.
standing in the Center.
This is a summer of startled resistance
Deepening into the forever after of
when Oneness calls to the let it all go
This is a summer when angst
outgrew herself for peaceful resolution
On fresh pages freed for a new story
This is a summer when what needed
to get together got to together in the
seamless love given by others.
This is a summer of gratitudes fruition
When to give is to receive and to
receive fills the giving cup
This is a summer when the heart prism
finds the clarity in the crystal
Catching all light in her opening
This is a summer still happening
in the calm of moments accepted
In the trust of how the Infinite unfolds
Perfectly.
Filed under HAPPINESS, JOY, michigan, SUMMER, the craft of writing., TRUTH, WRITER'S PROMPT, YPSILANTI
I ‘stole’ this line from from Abbey of the Arts, Christine Valters Paintner. www.abbeyofthearts.com
The original sentence is this; “Drink freely from the life you have been given.” I made it ‘mine’ by changing it a bit. If you have time, give her website a visit. There is something very special about Christine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Drink freely from life’s giving
Fill up on sweetness that is not hiding
Listen to the breeze give her story
Air is every where with her knowing
Drink freely from life’s giving
Ease slow into the receiving
Feel vast the heart’s voice
Oneness is not wandering
Drink freely from life’s giving
Expand into The Way flowing
Know duality will find it’s Oneness
The Earth joins in the evolving
Drink freely from life’s giving
Belief will bring the seeing
Release what holds too hard
Light the way for us searching.
Filed under AGING, BE HERE NOW, BIRTH. LIFE. DEATH, LOVE, NATURE, PEACE, SPIRITUAL, SUMMER
I was asked by one of my online teachers, Christine, from Abbey of the Arts, to consider a word to dedicate to this year. A word that might embrace a feeling I have, or need to deepen in. A word that might challenge me, or call me out to me to pay attention to. A word that gives play and intention to my daily practice of breathing and Being Here Now.
For me, it was about what calls to me, to ‘own’ in my daily journey, to remind me of what will bring me ‘home’. Tho’ I do believe I am already ‘home’ at the deepest heart of myself, I don’t always have a sense of that in the busy of the world around and within me. Living is such a distraction and all of you are so interesting.
I chose the word, ‘Stillness’. Maybe it chose me. What I can tell you about the feeling that rises for me when I think of stillness, is how hard it feels to embrace it. I have lots of wonderful idea about what ‘stillness’ is and how important it feels to be in my life. I can think myself in and out of stillness very adeptly.
Winter stillness goes like this…. It looks like an entire forest ladened with snowy branches and hardly a track on the snow covered carpet. It tastes like a lick laid down on the heavy snow that bears down a pine branch. It feels like me laying down on that carpet of a gagillion snowflakes and making an angel in slow motion. All of it rests in my thinking about it, imagining what that quiet ‘stillness’ might be.
Can I be still, undisturbed, calm, tranquil? Good Lord, why did I pick ‘stillness’? Choice can be changed. I tried, sort of. Some stubborn, tenacious part of me refused to make another choice. Stick with that word, ‘stillness’, see where it lead you. See what comes up for 365 days of absorbing what it is or isn’t. Maybe, find the stillness that connects me deeper to my spiritual journey. Ok Ok… Alright already. Stillness it is.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stillness calls for my stewardship
Tells of times once remembered
In the ever beat of my heart’s desire
Longing to live in peaceful countenance
Listening deep beyond the idle chatter
Nearing my quest for home remembering
Ever present when I give myself to quietude
Simple in the ever presence of breathing
Stillness gives it watch over me
Filed under Uncategorized
Hiya… I’m back from the north, where there is more snow here than there. mmmm. Just plain freezing cold without the beauty and wonder of a snowy landscape. Kinda weird.
Last night when I settled into being home I went to one of the Websites I visit, Abbey of the Arts. www.abbeyofthearts.com. Christine has a way of sharing herself and her spirituality that touches me. Her God is an inclusive God. She has a tender way of expressing herself that touches my heart and her Path is very inviting to me. She practices the ‘contemplative arts’. This week she sent out a poem by Hafiz, a 14th century Persian mystic. I share it with you.
Just sit here
Right Now
Don’t do a thing
Just rest
For your separation
from God
is the hardest work
in the world
hafiz
It has only been in the last year or so that I can feel any comfort in using ‘God’ in my conversations about my spirituality. God for me has always been very patriarchal and Christian exclusive. Not very inclusive of what, for me, is the Oneness of All things. I like to use, Source, Oneness, Goddess, Spirit, and now I can include God and not feel the restriction I have felt most of my life. It’s a good thing. I feel more inclusive myself now that I don’t shudder hearing and using God within a conversation.
Her classes our lovely and I hope to take another in the near future. I DO wish to find a more contemplative life.
CONTEMPLATIVE HAIKU
Centered, still, quiet
Rest in the silence of heart
Spirit awaits you
Hear snowflakes falling
Quiet is the greet to Earth
Soft blanket to land
Yield to silence call
Make way for heart to hear deep
Listen as God speaks
Include it All ways
Choose the lightness of living
Be at peace with you
Filed under Uncategorized
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