Nourished by the sun.
Refreshed by the rain.
Cradled by the moon.
Lifted by the stars.
Watched over by the animals.
Fed by the earth.
Made resilient in being human.
Unlike any,
Connected to all.
Grateful for this artwork generously shared and created by Susan Kerr.
It begins with a small sliver,
Cresting the horizon.
Barely noticeable at first,
There is a stirring.
Sparks popcorn through the air.
A simultaneous stillness
Accompanied by a deep and profound desire to dance.
Masked by trees, clouds,
And preoccupied vision,
She goes unnoticed at first,
Simply climbing, filling, growing,
Not making any promises
Not asking to be seen.
The wise ones feel her arrival.
And whether attuned or not,
prepared or not,
receptive or not,
She makes her presence known.
Slowly shining more and more brightly,
Occupying more and more space,
Until she cannot be ignored
She ripples through your veins,
She invites wonder and awe.
She offers a compass point through the darkness,
Never imposing a path,
Simply holding the space,
Subtly encouraging your heart
To unlock in ways
Never imagined.
Photo by Jean McDonald
Regrets are the shadows of the past.
The future draped in hopes and worries.
Coherence is found now.
I can no more be in or out of love
than I can be in or out of my body,
or my breath.
Love is not something temporary,
to be chased,
or clung to.
Love is the essence of freedom,
self expression, and connection.
Love is a state of being
that allows all else to exist.
Whole.
Steady.
Relaxed.
Desiring.
Creative.
Joyful.
Confident.
Protected.
Assured.
Loving.
Receiving.
Humble.
Gentle.
Clear.
Consistent.
Allowing.
Steady.
Wise.
Open.
Graceful.
Free.
I ask not that you change or conform.
You need not worry if who I am is not who you want me to be.
Let’s not need to hold hands in unity,
but hold hearts with respect.
I will not squash who I am,
or expect you to assimilate.
Even if I do not walk in your shoes, I offer you accompaniment,
so that we are both seen and heard and the rhythm and
harmony of our movement through life,
offers a flavorful contrast
for all the world to remember
the value of their own melody.
Even in my darkest moments,
My most intense forms of suffering,
I find flickering deep within an ember of hope, a knowing that this is temporary,
a moment of exploration and learning.
Pain is informative and a reminder that there is the opposite – great peace, ease, harmony, and joy – just around the corner,
riding in valiantly on the next breath,
to remind me that I am just as much that as anything else.
My old, worn out shoes,
so familiar,
form to fit my imperfect feet,
adapted over time to accommodate my lopsided gate,
carrying me faithfully in my uneven stride.
There comes that time that those beloved companions have served their purpose,
worn out in functionality,
poised for retirement.
In come the replacements,
stiff,
awkward,
shifting,
adjusting.
Blisters making way for bliss – forging new connections for movement and growth.
One day this single path abruptly split in two.
The potential in both directions was intriguing and alluring,
albeit a bit daunting.
The split itself brought much spaciousness and beauty,
a chance to pause and survey the widespread landscape of the past and present,
confirming there could be no wrong steps forward,
the divide simply an invitation to reawaken to this journey
and joyfully take the next step.
Finding the balance between expressing and encroaching,
between stepping back and leaning in.
There are moments to blend
and times to expand.
Expressing one’s colors
requires softness and boldness,
the ability to complement and hold up another and still stand fully on your own.
Today, will it be accent or statement?
There are places to be both.
