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Reflections

Category: Poetry

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Life is the only way

A Note Life is the only way to get covered in leaves, catch your breath on the sand, rise on wings; to be a dog, or stroke its warm fur; to tell pain from everything it’s not; to squeeze inside events, dawdle in views, to seek the least of all possible mistakes. An extraordinary chance to remember for a moment a conversation held with the lamp switched off; and if only once to stumble upon a stone, end up soaked in one downpour or another, mislay your keys in the grass; and to follow a spark on the wind with

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Say Yes

The last few days have been rich, moving in me in ways I have yet to name.  The hermit part of my soul is asking for some nurturning right now before I speak too much about what is stirring.  In the meantime I continue to receive gifts.  I discovered this video at 37 Days (Patti Digh’s blog).  It is poet Andrea Gibson reciting her powerful poem “Say Yes”.  You can find the words here, but first listen to her speak them aloud.  In the space of three minutes I felt myself both moved to tears and rising up in powerful hope.

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Resurrection Poems

Happy Easter Dear Readers! Two poems for you to celebrate the resurrection of the world around us (both by poets who are new to me): The first is a Northwest poet, Emily Warn.  I heard her reading her poem “Hovering” from her book Shadow Architect on our local NPR station and fell in love with her use of language.  Her book is based on the mystical character of the Hebrew letters.  Go take a listen (click on one of the links below “Listen to KUOW Presents”).  The whole piece is just under five minutes, I enjoyed both hearing the poet

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Prayer for Springtime

Earth our Mother, breathe forth life All night sleeping Now awaking In the east Now see the dawn Earth, our mother, breathe and waken Leaves are stirring All things moving New day coming Life renewing Eagle soaring, see the morning See the new mysterious morning Something marvelous and sacred Though it happens every day Dawn the child of God and Darkness -Pawnee Prayer Dawn is the Hour of the day that corresponds to springtime — the new light spreading across the sky after a long winter’s night.  What is awakening in you?

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The Moment

The moment when, after many years of hard work and a long voyage you stand in the centre of your room, house, half-acre, square mile, island, country, knowing at last how you got there, and say, I own this, is the same moment when the trees unloose their soft arms from around you, the birds take back their language, the cliffs fissure and collapse, the air moves back from you like a wave and you can’t breathe. No, they whisper. You own nothing. You were a visitor, time after time climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming. We never belonged

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i carry your heart with me (Valentine’s edition)

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) i am never without it (anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling) i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true) and you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky

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Now is the Time

Now is the Time Now is the time to know That all that you do is sacred. Now, why not consider A lasting truce with yourself and God. Now is the time to understand That all your ideas of right and wrong Were just a child’s training wheels To be laid aside When you finally live With veracity And love. Hafiz is a divine envoy Whom the Beloved Has written a holy message upon. My dear, please tell me, Why do you still Throw sticks at your heart And God? What is it in that sweet voice inside That incites

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