We live in an enchanted forest - it exists, here, now, very close by, within and around
In some place in time, it is still standing, less than an inch from this realm, even closer
Wear your favorite clothes and outfits, dress for this occasion, the celebration, the reunion, life
Don't wait - there isn't more time, or another more perfect time, there is now time
The trees are earth's lungs
They breathe for all of us, all of the time, they never take a break
They transmit life, sitting, still rooting into the ground and extending upward toward the sky
Theirs is a vertical travel
The tiniest twig joins to the deepest root
Like the first touch of another on a newborn
The first breath a babe draws into her lungs
The first out-breath into an expanding kaleidoscope of connection
St. Corona, we beseech you to bless us and keep us safe, and to help us relate to all that we are Feeling, including loneliness and fear and sadness and confusion, during this global pandemic
Help us keep a larger perspective and still have room for relating to our experience, such as it is
Revealing itself and changing, or staying the same
This virus, neither good or bad at its core, it is a life form, in the infinite stream of life forms
A life form that is changing this world, transforming busyness into simplicity confusion into clarity
A reflection of life itself
The animals have gone into council
They are meditating on human's next steps, we can hear and feel their wisdom
Our senses sometimes keep us from the reality around us, other times, our senses touch the reality
Profoundly, fearlessly, immediately
As the animals sit in council, they are meditating on humanity's next steps
Will humanity stay awake from this viral wake-up call
Or, will business as usual resume after this has passed
What are we collectively passing through - a hole or a portal
Does this depend on our perspective
Fear is a heavy anchor capable of pulling us down and centralizing us into our selves of worry
Aliveness and appreciation are also strong and reliable anchors
What is connecting us and radiating out from our centers
Humans are hard-wired to care about one another and animals and the world
It is a biology of kindness
Our society of humanity would not exist without love
Humanity, the council of animals, the council of trees, council of stones all exclaim in a language
That can be heard in the mind of goodness and the heart of genuine possibility
"Do not let yourselves be divided
Only love is real!"
Just Jean is one woman's life journey with a glimpse contained within these short essays and poems. During each of our life journeys, there are an infinite number of chance meetings that impact our lives forever. These are opportunities to connect deeply to our common humanity, both fearlessly and daringly. Basic goodness is available to us all. There is always a fresh moment waiting in the next breath to press the reset button and begin again.
Monday, April 6, 2020
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
ROLLERCOASTER
December 5, 2013
The only way to get off the rollercoaster is to get off
That decision begins in the mind
Once the mind is awakened
Then present awareness is all pervasive and constantly arising
Sometimes an accident, a death, a denial, a divorce, a loss
Sometimes so much comes at us we are too full to receive
And sometimes we are open
Soft and spacious and receptive to everything
And then a deceiver, dark, dastardly demon tries to devour us
We wake up yet again
And wise knowing - what we will accept and reject becomes clearer still
Then sometimes magic-
Always magic
We are awake - open - ready
True loves looks us squarely in the eye
A voice awakens our absolute nature of goodness
And two hearts meet and know they've never been really separated
Just apart and then they come home
The only way to get off the rollercoaster is to get off
That decision begins in the mind
Once the mind is awakened
Then present awareness is all pervasive and constantly arising
Sometimes an accident, a death, a denial, a divorce, a loss
Sometimes so much comes at us we are too full to receive
And sometimes we are open
Soft and spacious and receptive to everything
And then a deceiver, dark, dastardly demon tries to devour us
We wake up yet again
And wise knowing - what we will accept and reject becomes clearer still
Then sometimes magic-
Always magic
We are awake - open - ready
True loves looks us squarely in the eye
A voice awakens our absolute nature of goodness
And two hearts meet and know they've never been really separated
Just apart and then they come home
SOMETIMES
June 30, 2015
Sometimes someone is talkative because they've been missing their family or they feel embarrassed, awkward, or lonely
Sometimes someone is quiet because of the same feelings
Sometimes someone needs more space to take care of their body
Sometimes someone has space to take care of someone else's body and be very close to others
Sometimes someone is perceived as aloof and distant because this someone's suffering from a loss of their spouse or parent or child or best friend
Sometimes someone relates to the world with ebullient joyfulness because they're freeing themself from a domestic knot
Sometimes someone seems bossy and controlling because their loved one just received a diagnosis
Sometimes someone seems wise and dependable because they are in end stage cancer
Sometimes someone feels lonely and uncertain and they just need to share what's bubbling over
Sometimes someone can deeply soak in another's pain and help mirror their own beautiful goodness
Sometimes another's stuff isn't ours and sometimes our stuff isn't theirs
Sometimes we can be illuminated by the natural mirror between two people
Sometimes we want to slow down when everyone else is moving so quickly in a line
Sometimes we will be late and sometimes we will be early
Sometimes our mind judges and sometimes it relaxes
Sometimes we want to be in the thick of society, giving
Sometimes we need to tend to our body and withdraw
Sometimes we like ESA
Sometimes we don't
Sometimes we want to know
Sometimes we want to feel
Sometimes our mind knows are heart
Sometimes our heart feels our mind
Sometimes we feel more the "I" and sometimes we feel more the "basically good"
Sometimes we get stuck and go on judging someone based on one conversation, moment, situation
Sometimes we forget we are just trying to make sense of everything
Sometimes we forget we have always had a chance to be good again
Sometimes we forget the magic of our being
Sometimes we remember the magic of our being
Sometimes we don't want to get out of bed
Sometimes we just want our mama
Sometimes we feel our vulnerability and compassion for our world
Sometimes we let ourselves wake up and be held by our world
Sometimes we just want to be loved
Sometimes we just want to be loved by loving another
Sometimes we feel the fear
Sometimes we push the fear away
Sometimes we feel the confidence in basic goodness
Sometimes we miss home
sometimes we leave home
Sometimes we feel gratitude for the space from family
Sometimes it takes a while to trust, even longer that we might like
Sometimes we see the caring in each other's eyes and we feel the gravity of kindness
Sometimes someone is talkative because they've been missing their family or they feel embarrassed, awkward, or lonely
Sometimes someone is quiet because of the same feelings
Sometimes someone needs more space to take care of their body
Sometimes someone has space to take care of someone else's body and be very close to others
Sometimes someone is perceived as aloof and distant because this someone's suffering from a loss of their spouse or parent or child or best friend
Sometimes someone relates to the world with ebullient joyfulness because they're freeing themself from a domestic knot
Sometimes someone seems bossy and controlling because their loved one just received a diagnosis
Sometimes someone seems wise and dependable because they are in end stage cancer
Sometimes someone feels lonely and uncertain and they just need to share what's bubbling over
Sometimes someone can deeply soak in another's pain and help mirror their own beautiful goodness
Sometimes another's stuff isn't ours and sometimes our stuff isn't theirs
Sometimes we can be illuminated by the natural mirror between two people
Sometimes we want to slow down when everyone else is moving so quickly in a line
Sometimes we will be late and sometimes we will be early
Sometimes our mind judges and sometimes it relaxes
Sometimes we want to be in the thick of society, giving
Sometimes we need to tend to our body and withdraw
Sometimes we like ESA
Sometimes we don't
Sometimes we want to know
Sometimes we want to feel
Sometimes our mind knows are heart
Sometimes our heart feels our mind
Sometimes we feel more the "I" and sometimes we feel more the "basically good"
Sometimes we get stuck and go on judging someone based on one conversation, moment, situation
Sometimes we forget we are just trying to make sense of everything
Sometimes we forget we have always had a chance to be good again
Sometimes we forget the magic of our being
Sometimes we remember the magic of our being
Sometimes we don't want to get out of bed
Sometimes we just want our mama
Sometimes we feel our vulnerability and compassion for our world
Sometimes we let ourselves wake up and be held by our world
Sometimes we just want to be loved
Sometimes we just want to be loved by loving another
Sometimes we feel the fear
Sometimes we push the fear away
Sometimes we feel the confidence in basic goodness
Sometimes we miss home
sometimes we leave home
Sometimes we feel gratitude for the space from family
Sometimes it takes a while to trust, even longer that we might like
Sometimes we see the caring in each other's eyes and we feel the gravity of kindness
BLADES OF GRASS
July 6, 2014
I really want to find my true love
Isn't that ridiculous
Why?
Because it doesn't exist
It's a thought
A concept
A strong emotional hook
I just keep surrendering
I return over and over to the natural world
To find myself, whom was never lost
Always right here
I pull apart the blades of grass
Separating them
Peering in to ask,
"Are you in there?
The person I can be quiet with,
Whom makes space for my brokenness,
So I can make space for yours."
Explanation unnecessary
Being mandatory
I really want to find my true love
Isn't that ridiculous
Why?
Because it doesn't exist
It's a thought
A concept
A strong emotional hook
I just keep surrendering
I return over and over to the natural world
To find myself, whom was never lost
Always right here
I pull apart the blades of grass
Separating them
Peering in to ask,
"Are you in there?
The person I can be quiet with,
Whom makes space for my brokenness,
So I can make space for yours."
Explanation unnecessary
Being mandatory
CLEARED FOR DEPARTURE
July 6, 2014
Kites
In the sky
More sound than seen
Fluttering wordlessly, yet
Constantly like breath above me
As wind offers to keep aloft
These colorful shapes
Their tails wagging behind
Long train of color
Only one black and white
A thunderbird with a tail
As long as the sky
Above my head
Above all of our heads
In a vastness
So blue it calls me
Upward
Space for me and white marks of clouds
Symbols of an ancientness
Sky and earth
In-between we rest
In what we see
And hear
And are
Kites
In the sky
More sound than seen
Fluttering wordlessly, yet
Constantly like breath above me
As wind offers to keep aloft
These colorful shapes
Their tails wagging behind
Long train of color
Only one black and white
A thunderbird with a tail
As long as the sky
Above my head
Above all of our heads
In a vastness
So blue it calls me
Upward
Space for me and white marks of clouds
Symbols of an ancientness
Sky and earth
In-between we rest
In what we see
And hear
And are
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