The Mirror

Look in the mirror
What do you see?
What happens when you make eye contact
With yourself?
The others you encounter
Day to day
They're also your mirror
A perfect reflection
Of what is within YOU!

The one who is afraid
Of having their dreams come true
Because they fear failure
The person who finds fault
With everyone and everything
So they don't have to get close
Perfect way to avoid being hurt
And have precious control
Sometimes the seeker
Looking for MORE
Who is my Savior?
Where is my Angel?
Who will validate me?
Where can I find the mystical connection?
Oh I'm so empty
Show me, oh please
I KNOW it's you...be that for me!

And we put them on a pedestal
Far above all others
But they're human
Just beautiful, broken people
Trying to make their way

But OH! They've disappointed us
And for this we will hate them forever
Making of ourselves
The perfect victim
Wronged again! I told you it would happen!
And we hold tight to our righteous pain
While the one we elevated so high
Reels in pain, broken after falling
From the high place we put them in
And wounded by our hatred
At their simple, bruised humanity
Bleeding from our rejection
Of the gift they tried to give us

Don't you know?
No one can save you
No one is your angel or your savior
There aren't any gurus or mystics that will help
And those things that make you so angry
The behavior beyond contempt
Everything you say you would never do
Because you're better
You're ABOVE all that, right?!
All of that
Is within YOU
Indeed, it is in your life
Right now
For precisely that reason
Because what you fear
What you despise, what you hate most
Is inside of your OWN heart, soul and psyche
Right now

And until the day
That you can stop
Look yourself in that mirror
Face absolutely all of it
Stop denying it
And then.....
Release it
All of it, no control
Until you are completely, blessedly empty
And just see YOU
Your naked, blessed beautiful Self
Until you face it and release it
None of the chaos will ever stop
And all of the sweet souls you encounter
Dozens of sages and mystics
And hundreds of Angels
Will only be able to stand by
Unable to help you
Powerless to stop the pain and the chaos
Until the day you realize
That you must save yourself

(This poem is written from the perspective of someone looking at themselves in the mirror. In this case, me)

Pandora's Peace

The soul
Intact in the safe place
A beautiful truth
But there is more

Peering out at the world
Surrounded by clouds
Wrapped in cotton
So easily disgruntled

Pandora's on trial
For opening it
Who shall look within?
One to brave the terror?

Arrows sent forth
Always find a mark
Somewhere, a reaction
Quantum physics

Comfortably robed
In righteous anger
Whitewashed with the known
Verdict rendered

Pandora and her ilk
Sit on the ground in rags
Ostracized
Oddly undaunted

Assembling the pretty soul shards
Beautiful, broken, shiny colors
A mandala
We are One

There was no evil
Simply that which was new to our experience
Light and shadow both reveal much
And the little band KNOWS

Nightspell

Will you walk with me at night
Intoxicated by the spring scented air?
I am amazed at the stars
And how we are all made of the same
Might you laugh at me?
The sheer perfection of it
The trees, the breeze
The crickets song
Each breath a miracle
As the sacred night
Kisses warm skin
And hearts beat in unison
Life's music

You Are Enough

Weigh yourself against others
And you will be lost
So many to please
All with a different view
Of who you should be
And the only "right" action to take
As each seeks to make of you
Their mirror
Every choice brings condemnation
Who shall you be?

Count only your ego
As you make your way
Consider no one
And you will cut many
With your thoughtless push
No freedom will you find
From yourself
When you can only hate
What you have become

There will come a day
When you must let go
Of everything
Your striving to please
The need for approval
That cold terror
Of disappearing into complacency
You will forgive them all
And drop all guilt and shame
Forgiving yourself, too
You are empty in that moment
Blessedly void, oh sweet zero!

As you lean in, just slightly
You can hear the whisper of truth
Let it flow
Intuition fueling movement
Compassion and understanding
Blessing all interactions
Integrity and honesty
Keeping the way clear

You are light
You are spirit
The path you walk is yours alone
You live, breathe, connect
Laugh, cry and soar

All you can be
Is you
And, it is enough

Untethered (For dh, mm and bs)

The bravest among us
Walk untethered
While the rest of us
Sit happily in our cozy chains
The ones we chose
Until the day
When we are ready
We decide to break free
Taking those first steps
Heart-stopping wonder
That the world is ours
Standing strong against
The vicious anger
The chained ones level at us
Because we were them
And then
Yes, only then
In that moment
As we take those first steps
Do we realize the gift
That the untethered ones are
In our lives
A gift we could never understand
Until we finally
Took those first steps
On our own

For dh, mm and bs, with love.

Fingernail Moon

I've taken over the bathroom in the basement, and made it my own. This makes it much easier when I return from my morning walks. I couldn't do my walk today, though, because my ankle is still swollen and sore from the concert Tuesday night.  It's getting better and better though, I'll be back out there soon enough.

So, this morning, I put the PJ's back on and opened the door to the outside while I was brushing my hair so it could air dry.  It was still mostly dark, in those few sacred moments just before the dawn.  It rained yesterday and everything had that moist, growing smell to it.  I could hear the birds singing.

The sky was a beautiful shade of night blue, because it was about to lighten with the sun's first rays but the world was still waiting for what was to come.  I understood that feeling.

I looked up at the sky and saw one single star, shining brightly and something else that made me smile.  It was the moon.  When I was very little, I used to call it "the fingernail moon" because of the way it was shaped.

Looking up at that star, and the moon, I drew in several deep breaths, and brought the beautiful morning air into my lungs.

In that moment, I felt completely loved, completely comforted and utterly connected.  Without knowing what specifically comes next, for the first time in so very long, I wasn't afraid.

NEVER BE LESS

Let there never be a day
When you believe your own delusion
No taking the easy way out
Regardless of what people say
Don't give in
When it hurts the most
Fight
We can't become less
Giving up can never be an option
There is no sacrifice too much
When each day, you are MORE
Closer and closer
To your highest self
This
Is truth, is light, is real
Details, situations, obligations exist
Do what you must
Use compassion and love
As you forge ahead
But never be less
NEVER BE LESS
NEVER BE LESS
For an authentic path
Is not an easy road
But the only possible choice
Do you think you were put here
To fit into the worlds limited molds
No
NO
YOU ARE MORE
We are, each of us PURE LIGHT
Belief when worldly details deny you
Choosing the higher road
When pain tells you to HIT
Sure knowledge within
Despite all evidence
Patience because you KNOW
It is yours
Fight
When giving up would be so easy
Integrity
Tells you how to walk
And inspires others
Teachers and help
Are everywhere
If you stay open
No, there is no giving up
Joy in each day
Gratitude for many blessings
Staying in the flow
Trusting the process
Each of us singular, unique
With gifts we must use
And a mission we must BE
No
I will not take my eye
Off that beautiful light
That warms, fuels and inspires

Conduct Unbecoming

The painfully shy child
Kept it all inside
Except to agree
Survival

The woman who
Without realizing
Took the little girl's rules
Into adulthood

The day
When the rules didn't work
Dam broken
Everything rushing out

The spirit, now
Telling the mind, "Peace!"
There is a time to speak
And a time to keep your own counsel

Seek the wisdom
Of your Higher Self
And many, both physical and ethereal
Are here to help

You walk
As she did
Now spouting, chafing, impatient
But still so terrified of offending

You must flow
As the river
Delighted and grateful in the journey
And knowing the destination
Though unseen, is certain

Peace!

Strange Happenings

It's an odd feeling, really
You're just
Doing your thing
Having
A day
And
CLICK
Everything is different
You take a second
What just happened?
Realization
You're not afraid of your past
You're not afraid of the present
You aren't afraid of the future
And for once
You understand
Freefall

Spring's Commingling

Something left behind in the car

Step outside

Wet leaves 

Spring's own breath

Bring it within

Sacred darkness

Majyck

Spirit moves 

Rises

Dancing on the breeze

Cricket sounds

Rhythmic, musical

Sweet lullaby

Abundant life

In the stillness 

Eyes closed

Moist air 

Clings to long hair 

The knowing

Feel the thread 

Pick it up

Oh! Beautiful pain

The truth lives

And so, carried

Cherished treasure 

Light within

Sky above

And earth below

I greet thee 

Flow, as the river 

Movement, free fall

Her only grace now

All efforts at control

Relinquished

A changed soul 

Honors the lessons

Trusting truth

Following the light 

Stumbling, barefoot

Laughing, learning

Finally 

To live 

 

A Woman Rains

Descending from the Berkshires
Taking the long way on purpose
Winding road
Following the river
Rain hitting the car
Music's on
Singing along
I'm raining, too
Just like Gaia
Because sometimes
A woman's heart rains
Not to say it's too much
Not that she can't handle it
It's not even because she CAN handle it
She can, and she does
There are days when a woman rains
Because like Gaia
She's connected with it all

Creation 

Birth and death
Life, people 
All of it
Who we are, what we do
And while she walks and moves
Through life
And in spirit
She feels EVERYTHING
Her triumphs, her falls
And all of yours too
There are times
When there isn't a refuge
A place to pause
And be enveloped in warmth
And so, it's natural
For the rain to fall
Water flows, like the river
Moving, life's journey
Cleansing, freeing rain
A cool, sweet scented breeze follows
And the air is changed
She looks up, seeing the sun
And with a joyful heart
Returns to the beautiful task
Of living, dreaming
Being

Active Hope

Hope.

Hope is a real, tangible thing.  It is a knowledge, deep within you.  It doesn't need evidence, it exists without benefit of sight or touch, it lives inside of each and every one of your cells.  Hope is fed by that light inside, and it changes your world view.

Hope is love in action.  Hope is unlocked when you allow yourself to be secure in the knowledge that something beautiful is yours, right now - regardless of the day's situation, and despite any challenges.  Hope is what gets you up in the morning to work out, to write, or to learn something new.  Hope is the fuel you use to work on your dream while you balance the day to day.

Hope whispers in your ear to take that risk, the one your intuition is screaming at you to take.

Hope.  It's the thing that turns passion into action, and action creates movement, both in the physical practical sense, and in the energetic world.  Action changes the game. Each step taken strengthens that hope.  You rejoice in each day you have been given - even the very worst ones - because each is it's own gift, and those days combined to bring you to this one - the one you are standing in right now.

Hope reminds you, in every moment, that steps taken lead to dreams coming true and to blessings that are already yours right now, whether you can see them or not. Hope feeds all that hard work, especially on the days that you want to give up and make an excuse but you don't - you KNOW who you are. Hope lives in your heart and let's you know "Yes. That's yours. It's real. Don't give up or give in, no matter what."

Hope is an endless supply, within each of us, and it wells up and spills over.  And we give it to others around us, whether by sharing a smile, or lending a hand. By being a voice for change. By truly seeing people. By showing up. Maybe by just silently being there. Sometimes people can lose sight of hope.  When we reach out, we can help them to feel it and let that energy live inside of them again. It's like lighting a candle - your light remains undimmed and now the other is also glowing!   It costs us nothing and makes such a difference to anyone we come in contact with.  Hope is a free commodity, and it can change you, me and our world.

Today, I am grateful for hope.

Hope Lives

As the sun's fire

Touches the morning sky

Crows call in the nearby pines

Patience replaces restlessness

Integrity pushes out easy fixes

Work and truth 

Action 

Remain the beacons

For creating it right

Becoming in each moment

The change you seek

Energy and flow

Connection with All

Belief

Shaping it every day

Hope Lives 

  

Is There A Safe Middle Ground - Thoughts on Bad Corporate Citizens

This afternoon a Facebook post I shared, which was commented on by someone else, got me thinking.  I feel as if there are two schools of thought where corporations like BP, Monsanto or Walmart are concerned. The first says they must be stopped, or made to change their behaviors.  The second school of thought says we can't rock the boat because it's "bad for the economy."

In each case, there is significant evidence to show that these corporations are not....let's go with the corporate euphemism.....they are not "good corporate citizens."  This is all the more ironic since they are considered a "person" under certain statutes of the law.

Another oil spill a few days ago by a BP refinery into Lake Michigan is just the latest in a series of consistent problems from this corporation, despite their lovely commercials. Some people I know haven't even heard of this latest spill.  I guess if it's not coming up on the beaches where you live, it doesn't matter, right?  We certainly found our voices when it came to some windmills on Cape Cod....but since this is Michigan and most of us don't live there....

Monsanto's GMO crops are banned in over 60 countries and here in the United States, they are spending inordinate amounts of money to avoid simply LABELING FOOD AS GMO.   They are also the creators and distributors of herbicides on the market currently linked by scientists to recent problems with severely declining populations of both Monarch Butterflies and bees.  Maybe you aren't worried about Monarch Butterflies, although I am.  You OUGHT TO BE worried about bees.  They pollinate your food supply. Last I heard, Monsanto wanted to sue the entire state of Vermont over labeling.

Walmart seems to be the place to go if you want to save money on your grocery bill, right?  No matter that once again, they have a consistent, ongoing record of problems with how employees are treated and not providing what many of us would consider a decent living wage.

I believe that we have a responsibility to demand that corporations balance profit and being good corporate citizens. This should be a symbiotic relationship.  You are providing jobs and needed services to the community, and conducting business in a responsible, competitive manner that allows for a profit. This provides growth and security to your employees and if applicable, your shareholders.

We have every right as citizens to expect and demand that corporations operate in our communities in a manner that takes into account the decent treatment of each human being, basic health and safety, and environmental concerns.  If they are not, we must demand change.  If our elected officials cannot or will not help us to make this happen, then we do not re-elect them.  We ask questions. We find out who is financing what and for whom?  Who is donating to what campaigns?

What corporations have former government officials worked for, officials who are now making decisions that benefit their former place of employment?  This isn't paranoia, it's a matter of public record. Do what I've done. Look it up, check sources. Care.

I am tired of hearing that we can't do anything about this.  I'm sick of everyone saying the economy will come crashing down if we stop subsidizing big oil, put controls on big oil's day to day operations, raise the minimum wage, or put limitations on Monsanto simply because we want to know what we are eating.

Let me get this straight.  We can put people in space, manipulate the workings inside a single human cell and map DNA.  But it's COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE to expect that changes be made requiring corporations to be good corporate citizens and stop them from doing things that are detrimental to our health, our environment and in violation of basic human decency?

That's bullshit, pure and simple.

And I feel that we are being willing little sheep if we are not taking it upon ourselves to be informed, to not get stuck on party lines and demand change.  We can vote, we can peacefully protest, we can help inform people, we can write letters, we can make calls.  AND WE CAN STOP SUPPORTING THESE CORPORATIONS AND THEIR PRODUCTS if they refuse to change.  Without the people supporting them, they'd all be done.  Maybe a few of us can't do anything. But millions of ONES can.

If I got you angry with this, good.  I meant to. Call me unrealistic.  Tell me I don't have all the facts. But if you're thinking about it at least, it's a start.

I WILL

I am learning that life is an act of will, followed by getting off your ass and moving.  Thus, I will:

Sit on the beach with little kids and make a sandcastle

Walk slowly through a warm green morning, enjoying the beauty of the day, sipping coffee

Spend an entire Sunday lying around naked, listening to music

Wander through museums for hours, taking all the unscheduled hours I wish, to really be with all that I see

Write even more stupid, lousy poetry because it feels good

Listen to more live music because it's good for the body and the soul

Keep my hair ridiculously long no matter what people think about what's proper for my "age group"

See art everywhere

Be awed at the truth that artists reveal, and all the ways they do it

Help artists whenever I can because they remind us why we're here

Be moved to tears and laughter by everyday interactions

Embrace my passionate nature instead of  hiding it

Laugh, laugh and laugh some more

Kiss as if my life depended on it

Continue to embrace change with my actions and not just my words

Be the queen of flip flops and a tank top

Be 49 and sexy.

Accept my past, even the colossal failures

Go where the flowers are. See them, smell them, take a million pictures, plant them, love them, grow them because they make my heart sing

Be completely "out" at all times about being a crazy, witchy, pagan, earth spirit, angel freak

Create something every day

Stop looking for validation from outside or upside.  If it's right, it's right and it doesn't matter what others think, or what the little fearful voice inside thinks. I am connected and I WILL make the decision. Regardless of the outcome, I am still connected. So I choose to live, and love.

Remember that the odds don't matter.

Never again give up something beautiful because of fear.

Literally hug trees

Go where my heart and soul lead me, no matter what

Forgive others

Forgive myself

Wander around in the woods even more than I already do

Do Reiki daily

Always do my morning and evening rituals

Sing as often as possible

Perform random acts of kindness every day

Be thankful for all of the people I am blessed to know

Remember my wings

Stand in my personal power

Call Michael if I am scared

Paint, color, sculpt, or any other art form I want to try. Not because I am especially talented. Just because creating feels good and frees up energy.

Discard and donate what is not needed

Be compassionate and loving but firm when change must occur, so that I may help others to adjust.

Stop with the white knuckled control deal

Make full eye contact even more

Have fun 

Skinny Dip

Go Zip lining!

Walk the beach

Enjoy classic movies

Sit by streams, rivers and lakes 

Believe

What are you going to do!?

The Sea Speaks

Yesterday

Standing by the ocean

Silenced by the beauty

And the power

I could only think

Regardless of what we do

The waves come

Relentless 

They cannot be stopped

And I knew in that moment

The lesson the Mother had for me

Was the same

Consistent

Relentless

True

Power in being that which you are 

And I knew then 

As never before 

All will be

There is no stopping the sea

Love In The Rain

Dark room
Rain on the roof
The sound, rhythmic
Closing my eyes
I can smell the rain
Walking in it, smiling
A warm spring day
All the growing things
Release their essence
Breathing in, you too are ecstasy
One with it all
The delicious music, plop! plop! plop!
Rain on the leaves
The flowers in the garden
Their faces, open in joy
As the rain falls on them
It is as if all of creation is love
Making love
As are we
 

Some Days are Red

Some days are red
Drenched in color
Rolling, naked across blank canvas
Burning like fire
Never extinguished
Each day
Another skin shed
Essence remains
Blessedly empty
But not hungry or in need
Eyes clear
Sight within
Oh yes
Some days are red 

Spring Ahead

When you insist that life is a battle
You never know the gift in surrendering yourself
Believe in your heart they will fail you
And they will, over and over
Keep applying the gas and the brakes at the same time
You'll keep moving in circles and burn out
Decide it's too big of a risk
And your losses will triple
Afraid of getting hurt?
You'll bleed worse than you could imagine
Convince yourself nothing is real
And suddenly, you're right. Nothing is.

No.

Life is messy.
We fall
We get hurt
We screw up stupendously
Setbacks
Roadblocks

I don't know much, aside from the fact that I know nothing

But experience has taught me this.

Life is for living
I don't want safety
I don't need guarantees, there aren't any
I'm jumping into the waves
Leaping off the cliff
My wings will grow on the way down
I'll get dirty
Act silly
Take risks
Laugh
Cry
Fall 
Bleed
Dance 
Sing
Make love
Listen to my heart
Do what feels right
Enjoy what feels good
Have FUN

Live

Bless each and every one of you reading this.  Every day is a miracle.  Be YOU.

Possible

Perhaps then
The gift I have given
Is that now you know
It is possible
And on the day
That it comes again
And you embrace it
May every joy be yours