Soulful Poetic Expressions
Sometimes our experiences in Retreats are so deep and meaningful that they call forth soulful poetic expressions.
From Michelle B.
Marbles
Marbles. Marbles. Marbles.
Rattling around in my brain.
Marbles. Marbles. Marbles.
Keeping me from sleeping again.
Thoughts. Thoughts. Thoughts.
Those are the marbles at play.
Thoughts. Thoughts. Thoughts.
Leave them for the next day.
Ideas. Ideas. Ideas.
Grab ’em and don’t let them go!
Ideas. Ideas. Ideas.
Fighting my head – saying no!
Lists. Lists. Lists.
Park them there for the night.
Lists. Lists. Lists.
My mind can give up the fight.
Spirit. Spirit. Spirit.
Now my soul can rest.
Spirit. Spirit. Spirit.
Putting my head & heart to the test.
Remember. Remember. Remember.
All in due course.
Remember. Remember. Remember.
My intuition is Source!
Marbles. Marbles. Marbles.
Remember my list tomorrow.
Marbles. Marbles. Marbles.
The jars organize without sorrow.
From Jamie
Come, Let’s Go Find Her
Did you find who you have been looking for?
She is right there inside of you.
Did you check behind the walls of hurt?
Sometimes she sits there and runs her hands on the bricks.
Did you look inside the box of rage?
There are times where she opens the box and removes the memories.
Did you check in the large pit of sadness?
Sometimes she goes there to cry and feel through the pain.
Did you look underneath the blanket of protection?
Sometimes she wraps herself in it to keep herself safe.
Did you look beside the table of indifference?
She stands there so she can pretend she doesn’t care.
Did you check over the hill of disgust?
She travels there when she doesn’t like the image in the mirror.
Did you look around the field of unimportance?
There are days she dances in the field there.
If you find her in those places, it’s time to set her free.
She wants to dance in joy.
She wants to sing in gentleness.
She wants to laugh with happiness.
She wants to prance in surrender.
She wants to revel in care.
She wants to breathe in favor.
She wants to feel significant again.
Come, let’s go find her……
From Hugh
Butterflies and Angels
Angels are at work
gently, the chrysalises are opened,
they separate your real and your false
You start to see, understand,
and then really, really feel it
deep in your heart
Your truth
trapped beneath so many band-aids of pretendings
Together you lift, peel, rip
all that is genuine rises to the surface
the true self
our unique perfection,
sculpted from our imperfections
the angels throw in some bubbly joy!
Your butterfly emerges
into that arena of the kind, the confident
united in a precious bond of love and care that few get to experience
but what if they could?
Unconditional love
receiving it giving it
every single day
a constant urge:
how can I make your life better in this moment?
spread joy
a smile for a stranger
Forgiveness for old hurts ….. and new
understanding, no more judgments
step into their shoes, see through their eyes
feel through their hearts
suspend judgment
Humility
Let this be a make-over for your soul
dive into its quiet depth
get to know the real you, like a new lover
tingle with a new sense of purity, of realness
the confidence of powerful gentleness
Live life from this place of simple clarity
the exhilarating ease of being just one person
the genuine you, no pretending
a clear sense of purpose
Integrity
Our planet needs you
From Amy T
Meditation – That’s for Other People
I had a pretty myopic view of mediation
From the outside looking in
An image of deep-throated unintelligible chanting
Sitting with legs crossed
Still and blissed out
Not me
My mind is chatty
My body, restless
Viciously self-critical of myself
Agitated by my failed attempts to find stillness
I’m no monk and I cannot still my mind
What’s the point? An exercise in frustration?
I have enough of those in my life, thank you very much
Then I discovered there are no rules
Meditation can happen in the shower
While walking through the neighborhood
Or making my bed
Anything to connect us to that live wire of insight
Hidden in plain sight, always
Meditation for me probably looks nothing like meditation for you
I heard it described as such –
Prayer is asking of God
Meditation is listening to the answer
That peaked my interest
It’s not about turning off your mind
Rather it’s about switching roles
You take the reins, you observe the thoughts
Like watching a toddler prattle on
Noticing the ramblings of your own mind
Not feeling like you have to jump and do every little thing
Ok, that sounds challenging but probably doable
And when it gets hard
Simply call in God – can you give me a hand here?
I’m having a tough time herding the cats in my mind
So I have the option to Phone a Friend? That sounds helpful
I think we should rebrand meditation
Pass the Microphone is more like it
To the still small voice inside
To a higher power
From Piper
Whirling in Longing
What does it mean to whirl? Why should I whirl?
What if my whole world became a whirl?
As I spin and spin, thoughts fly off my head.
Prayer makes itself at home in the empty space.
Sometimes I cannot stand up because the longing is so heavy.
I will wait until you come and lift me up.
By whirling I finally stand still.
I can see you now.
The calluses on my knees are the nectar of humility.
Falling, tumbling, bleeding – my limbs are broken.
I don’t care!
Let me fall forever into your arms.
The carpet is worn thin where I bow my head.
I love that piece of carpet.
Emotional waterfall is my journey to longing.
I trust those drops of water.
I starve, I starve and I will starve forever if you will touch me but one time.
Divine madness take me over!
Shake me until I am in a pool of delicious nothing.