Welcome to Poetry Party #71!
I select an image (*photo above by fellow monk in the world Claudia Gregoire) and suggest a theme/title and invite you to respond with your own poem. Scroll down and add it in the comments section below or join our Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks Facebook group and post there.
Feel free to take your poem in any direction and then post the image and invitation on your blog (if you have one), Facebook, or Twitter, and encourage others to come join the party! (If you repost the photo, please make sure to include the credit link below it and link back to this post inviting others to join us).
We began this month with a Community Lectio Divina practice and followed up with our Photo Party on the theme of “Softening and Yielding.” (You are most welcome to still participate). We continue this theme in our Poetry Party this month.
Here in the northern hemisphere it is autumn which calls us into the journey of surrender, release, and radical yielding of our own agendas, into the holy direction of letting our grasp soften and open and be spacious, welcoming in whatever comes.
You can post your poem either in the comment section below*or you can join our Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks Facebook group (with over 700 members!) and post there.
*Note: If this is your first time posting, or includes a link, your comment will need to be moderated before it appears. This is to prevent spam and should be approved within 24 hours.
You can see the fall calendar of invitations here>>
*Photo by Claudia Gregoire
41 Responses
I think I am still home
surrounded
by those I know
But the familiar colors
are only a reflection
of those who still hold
to the old life
I have fallen
from the old
into the new
There is no way
to return even
if I desired it
I surrender and
let the current take me
My poem called ‘listen’ is about the softening and yielding of autumn as I listened to its sounds here in Sydney Australia last season.
listen
bowed trees sleep
tresses crunch at their feet
hound of wind moans
rhyme with rustle tones
come closer
listen
snick on grass
wake of bird
seed on wing
leaf brush on air
crack and rustle of skink
in their leaf litter rush of hide-and-seek
cricket-croaks
fruitfly-drone
frog-plonk in pond
snap of seed-pod
kerplop of fruit and berry
and in the underworld
rub of beetle and ant
the only other sound’s the easy drift
of vesper leaves
settling
to a hush
this seasonal paradigm
whispers its arrival
no fuss
except it’s time
colleen keating
Longing to be a leaf
Bursting into colour
Becoming flame
Before ever so gently
Letting go of the grip
That binds me to the root
Drifting gently
Trusting the new dance
That will carry me to an unknown place
Only to begin anew
Only to belong to all
On the mirror of the waters
I kiss the
reflection of sky,
the reflection
of my yellow sisters
who are still holding onto
their old place,
their old ways
theirs is the place
I wanted to stay,
the place I am thankful
to have left
I was made to let go
Frightened by the thought of change
I held on with a stiff and brittle grip
Death had long since
taken my glossy green,
and dressed me in gold
Then it made me let go
though I would have rather held on
Even though my time had come
even though my hold was weak
even though the wind whispered, “let go”
I would have rather held on
And I tried
But gravity pulled
the wind pushed
down, down, down
I fell
My fear turned into flight
I floated
gently on the wind
On blue waters of inky sky
I kiss the reflection
of Divinity,
held in soft embrace
my golden robes shimmer
in blue repose
let go
surrender
be free
I whisper to my sisters
As I drink in the wonder
Of this sweet release
Life as the Seasons move
Dappled water draw me in,
at the same time cold and warm.
My life/leaf a little brown round my edges from age .
Brown spotted body where once was fresh and young.
Once I knew the floating free feeling as the water drew me along
when I was so young and green.
Now my older self is a deeper, freer self merged with life and community.
Touched by winds both cool and warm now yeilding to the love poem of God’s creation.
Less ready to judge more softened and tender
some passages of time while they have taken their toll tell me smile , cry ,laugh, live and love,
look back on yourself and others with gentleness and forgveness.
Many people cross my path both young and old all with a message to tell.
Some with physical presence and others by words and ideals. Each fresh story is another gift from God . All enrich me and show how to love & live. Friends pass on the wisdom seen through the great writers and thinkers.
Many a gift comes through my inbox I see I can learn as I read and listen.
Grateful for all the gentle turning of the seasons. I want to thank both all the people that touch my life in their presence and also those who do not know me but still leave their mark with all the contribute to our world.
I am greatly enjoying all the poems in this month’s party and they got me to thinking about what I yield to. I began to realize I often yield to things because they make things easier, quicker, less effort or without thought…my poem took a darker twist….
Autumn Barge
the leaf bid farewell to its friend the tree and goodbye to its friend blue sky
then lightly landed on the blue of the water surface like an open hand,
whispering hello new friend
new blue friend
now ready to set sail!
all aboard stray ladybugs and water beetles
Autumn is not an ending
a new journey invites
wet and floating instead of dry and wind waving
time for a change
Fire of Practice Water of Yielding Haiku
watch leaf surrender
imagine that world as yours
live resurrecting
in an instant choice
in a season there is change
in a life desire
choose new each moment
practice change in each season
yield desire and thrive
re-dux
Fire of Practice Water of Yielding Haiku
watch leaf surrender
imagine the possible
life resurrecting
in each instant choice
in each season change invites
in each life desire
choose new each moment
practice change in due season
yield thriving desire
gather what appears
garnish gifts with flavoring
relinquish with ease
watch leaf surrender
imagine the possible
life resurrecting
The leaf floats
In Van Gogh waters
Of shimmering beauty
Carried on bouyant energy
Of ripples and bumps and splashes
So may autumn be for me
Down the mountain
As a leaf in the stream
Leaving the gathering of women
And the movement heavenward
In the starry gaze of Tahquitz
Yield to the Maker of the Beautiful
The vision of Love-Light
Enfolds your streaming journey
Trust its ebb and flow
To bring you to your Source.
This small craft
sans compass or sail
moved by earth’s breath, inspired, respired
floats from dark shadows
through dappled light.
This small leaf
from eddy to whorl
blown on its way
towards blue skies.
This small heart
borne on the water, wine, blood,
moved by spirit
floats from dark dappling
into blue light.