How To End A Year

In honor of New Year's Eve 2022.

"a time flows into another like a dazzling river

beckoning you to drink."

Samuel A. Betiku: “During a class, a lecturer I greatly admire said: ‘It’s a dangerous thing to live in the past; don’t allow yourself to be left behind.’ This poem was the aftermath of the impression those words had on me.”

 

They Tell Us The Design of the World Says:

"Becoming Elder" 

was not a conscious plan

for a theme this week yet,

it seems to have presented itself.

This quote has been waiting in the wings

for several weeks.

We must write new myths

and shift our own thinking

about our own and others aging.

One thought at a time,

with unconditional love

for ourselves.

No matter how blasphemous it may feel.  

Each one of us deserves

the reverence and regard

befitting royalty. . . from ourself.

Think of ourselves as whole and holy.

This is where the ripples originate.

The ripples that form the river of goodness.

This is how we change the world.

kastilwell

Pro-aging

I had not heard the word "anti-aging" 

before reading this quote.  

However, I am intimately familiar

with the thought process.

How it permeates our world

and seeps into our cells.

There are societies where elders

are actually revered and honored.

Here, we must provide the

reverence and honor 

for ourselves and each other.

Let those ripples spread!

kastilwell

 

Saying Goodbye

I'm still recovering from

having the wind knocked out of me

reading this poem.

(Some of you receive

Rosemerry's daily poems.

I'm curious if it affects you like it does me?)

The thought behind this

is the kind of beautiful 

that makes me weep 

with an incredulous delight,

a dumbfounded wonder.

I want to wrap it around me

like a forever shawl,

 a new skin.

"it's dark and it's sweet

and it's terrifying,

this thread that reminds us

just how much we belong

to the rest of the world, 

this thread we can't untie

even if we wanted to."

I would add the fervent hope

and the enigmatic belief

that this thread can be healed,

rewoven even, in the 

frayed places where human frailties 

cause harm and suffering to others?

kastilwell

 

The World Is A Tree

Douglas-Klotz is a "friend",

from a different time in my life.

His books changed my life.

I was delighted to run across this quote.

How well it describes the state of things.

So many years were spent

seeking the "rotten apples" of

a "success" that doesn't exist,

 a perfection that isn't real.

Once I turned around and

noticed the trees,

really noticed them,

everything changed.

kastilwell

 

Everything Ripples Outward

 https://www.juliafehrenbacher.com/

This quote landed with a strong thud

over the weekend and I'm taking note.

My ripples are not always as loving

as I'd like them to be.

I hope they can be spiffed up a bit

through the movement?

Treating myself with love and respect

is a surprisingly (or not so surprising)

awkward and clumsy enterprise.

The tracks for self censure,

chiseled deeply over years,

require serious sweat equity

in the sweeping away.

Thankfully, there is grace in the water

magnifying small efforts;

and generosity in the air

amplifying even weak intentions.

"Be mindful of my ripples"

is my mantra.

kastilwell

No Matter How Dark

 This felt like exactly the right thought

for this "dark" week.

I hope everyone is safe and warm with 

their power functioning.

The wind is fierce and there's snow on the ground.

Giving myself over to transformation

is a humbling thought.

One I sincerely want to control.

However, still growing and still living

are exquisitely worthwhile pursuits.

I'm willing to loosen the reins, as

letting go of them seems overly passive;

and ride the river.

kastilwell

Dark Praise

 This poem has cultivated much thought for me.

With a start, I realized my entire insides 

have been operating their stunning processes

in the dark for all the years I've lived.

Bones, muscles, organs, 

blood flowing steadily through veins…

tributaries of life reaching into the sky of my skin 

to bring essential nourishment and oxygen 

to wee cells doing the work of mighty engines...

all this happening in the dark throughout my body.

The sperm and ovum which became me

came from the separate darkness

of my parents and met in the dark.

 I grew in the dark of my mother's womb.

I'm no longer giving preference to the light.

I'm seeing the dark as equally essential,

and just as beautiful and complex as light.

kastilwell

Solstice

 "To touch with tremulous light, 

interior places it has not lit before."

There's something 

mysterious and beguiling

about what is revealed in darkness.

I'm including another poem today in honor

of our darkest day of the year.

kastilwell

Walking into Winter Solstice Because it is dark I walk in the dark, walk with no moon, walk with the chill of the measureless dark. There is peace that comes from letting the self be with the world as it is, and tonight, it’s a dark world, a world where I cannot see far ahead, a world of silhouette and suggestion, a world that seems to cherish whispers and relish mystery, a world where the invitation is to walk in the dark without wishing it away, without championing its opposite, the invitation is to be one who learns how to live with the dark. Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer ordwoman.com

To Work In The Dark

How to be intimate with the dark

while holding my own light?

That is the question gently

humming through my bones today.

kastilwell

 

If Each Day Falls Inside Each Night

 I cannot explain exactly how this thought moves me;

only that it does.

To contemplate a well imprisoning clarity

is more than enough of a meditation.

"To sit on the rim of the well of darkness

fishing for fallen light with patience." ?

What is fallen light other than darkness itself?

Isn't it possible that inky, utter darkness can be light as well?

kastilwell

The Incremental Nature of Change

 This is such a powerful thought.

To recognize the "small victories" 

contribute to significant change

in ourselves and in our world.

"The incremental nature of change".

Each stitch, each row, each section

is a victory...

repeat, repeat, repeat

and you have a garment.

Each breath,

each thought,

each shift of perspective,

each softening of armor,

repeat, repeat, repeat;

and you have a better life,

a better neighborhood,

a better world.

kastilwell

No One Person

As an introvert who has always

leaned toward a few deep friendships

gathering more friends sounds complicated.

Friendship is a treasure

not to be taken lightly.

I like the idea of 

making room at my table.

It just occurred to me 

how many poets and writers

have taken a place at my table 

recently and over the years.

I'd like to think that counts 

as friendships?

Perhaps its best to relax,

continue to treasure the friends I have,

and be open to new ones as they appear.

kastilwell

Gladness is Nourishing

Such a simple gesture...

to smile and greet someone

even if we see them everyday

and aren't feeling especially effusive.

It leaves a mark...

for you and for them...

one to be carried with us

making the glow stronger

as it ripples.

An invisible river of light.

kastilwell

 

The Power of the Light We Carry

"One light feeds another."

Thinking about this truth

as I've witnessed it often 

renews my intention to

focus on the light 

of love and compassion.

It inspires me to be that light.

It inspires me to look for the light in others.

It makes me endlessly grateful

for those people and places

that glow quietly and consistently,

generously passing their light to me

so I can carry it onward.

kastilwell

 

 

 

 

 

Each of us Carries

This is such a potent thought.

In reading the book, 

I was struck to realize

I'm so focused 

on finding my own light,

I neglect to look for it in others.

That's a game changer for me.

Consider the thought

you also carry the love light 

of your dear ones who have

left this earth. 

Our light glows brighter

as we meet up with other's.

kastilwell

 

A Forest is a Sacred Place

The necessity of trees and forests to life on earth

is the key message of this beautifully written book.

The author shares her journey of discovery

in a story that inspires me

to see the majesty of the forest 

and the exquisite offerings

trees provide.

kastilwell

 

The Oak is a Metropolis

 Even though comparative thinking 

is one of those things we're encouraged NOT to do,

comparing my human lifetime to the lifetime of an Oak,

is a lesson in humility and awe.

One half the design for a complex human

implanted in a sperm is marvel enough.

It's astonishing to consider what is embedded

in one acorn!

kastilwell

The Trees Comfort

Her feelings for the trees

led her to learn more and the learning

led to observing and experiencing

a life with trees.

It's a remarkable story of how

science can enhance and expand one's knowledge

and how one's own observations

and experience accentuate academics.

She demonstrates a life lived

in connection with the Earth.

We're all richer for it.

kastilwell

 

Trees Offer Solutions

What if humans could learn to relate 

to the forest rather than exploit? 

To actually listen and watch?

To treat ki with respect as a living entity.

(I was using the pronoun it again.

Changed it to ki.)

That feels better.

As someone who was taught

to see trees and plants as objects,

things change when I view them this way.

There's a shift inside that feels 

so much more connected to my surroundings.

kastilwell

PS: Walking in the rain yesterday,

I was treated to a view of this creature.

Isn't it beautiful?

Marbled Orbweaver 

Araneus marmoreus

--sometimes called 

the Pumpkin Spider.

A Way To Save Our World

 I'm dedicating this week's quotes 

to "To Speak for the Trees" by Diana B-Kroeger.

Her story fascinates me as much as Beryl Markham's.

I confess to more than a spot of envy at her experience.

Beginning with her being brought up in the ancient Celtic way.

I'm grateful she shares it with us through her story.

"the majesty of nature calls to us

in a voice beyond our imaginations."

I am listening to her call.

kastilwell

You Are The Stranger

"You are the stranger."

You don't have to be alone 

in the cockpit of an aeroplane

to encounter this stranger.

kastilwell

 

Inspiration and Impulse

As soon as I began to write something about this quote,

I began to see it's not as straightforward as I originally thought.

It certainly speaks to the ambiguity in making some choices.

When the outcome proves "bad", might there be 

cause to consider one's intention and be merciful?

kastilwell

A Word Grows To A Thought

 With chagrin, I noticed I'd used the same quote twice in one week.

I'm feeling like a very "sluggish traveler" as a result.

This is added motivation to preserve memories

so I can revisit them again for the first time later on?

Another way of saying, 

it's a good idea to remain humble.

No matter how smart we think we are,

we still don't know everything there is to know.

A call for awe.

kastilwell

Nature Resides in All Her Dignity

 Quaint language invoking cringe worthy images

yet the message is more relevant than ever.

"Presume to intimacy when we've been granted only tolerance."

That is a line for our times.

Climate change is showing us the consequences of that.

May we keep focused on our lands, our home.

May we treat our mother with the dignity she deserves.

kastilwell

Human The Pretender

 Though the vocabulary is somewhat dated,

I'm dedicating this week's quotes to

Beryl Markham and "West with the Night".

I'm dazzled by her life and her writing ability.

It strikes me how relevant and wise her thoughts are

 decades later.  (It was first published in 1942)

I have discovered a new Shero!! 

kastilwell

Something Is Here For You Now

This comforted me. 

I often find myself feeling like

I'm missing something

or not doing things quite right.

Impatience for "perfection".

One of those twisted words

stinking with manipulation

from forces outside myself.

Yes, its getting later.

Yes, it feels time is slipping away.

Yet I feel stronger in appreciation

for what is here right now.

And I see "perfection"

is mine and only mine to define.

"Thank you" is often on my lips.

kastilwell

 

The Gifts We Do Not Notice

The title of this quote got my attention.

It led me to thinking about all I do not notice

as I live out my days.

It's the very essence of gratitude, I believe.

Seeing what is taken for granted 

and appreciating it with enthusiasm.

Another thought stumbling around

has to do with being grateful

for the unpleasant and even truly awful things.

How many times have they turned into 

sideways or backwards gifts 

helping me grow?

On this Thanksgiving Day, 

I'm sending my gratitude and appreciation

for each one of you.

May you dwell in the land of plenty.

kastilwell

 

Objectifying

https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.solnit/posts/10159974860610552

 

This is heavy thinking for the day before Thanksgiving;

but I'm sharing it because its linked to something 

I've been observing within myself for awhile now.

While reading The Enchanted Life, by Sharon Blackie,

I was made aware of my own tendency to objectify the world around me.  

I did not see the trees and plants in the woods as having any essence of their own,

I saw them as lifeless objects. 

It was an uncomfortable realization.

It was then I noticed how often I view myself 

through the eyes of others. (Objectifying myself?)

"What will "they" think?"

This thought follows me relentlessly,

unconsciously and unintentionally.

Now it is becoming conscious.

Which leads to welcome change.

For which I am endlessly grateful.

kastilwell

Steeped In Meaning

 I've gone back and forth with this quote.

It finally dawned on me why.

It's the word random.

To me, a bolt of lightening

hitting and harming a tree is random.  

A word meaning

without forethought or intention. 

The lightening does not choose 

to strike the tree. 

It is not "out to get" it.

I do however believe that

everything is steeped in meaning

in the woods and across the universe.

It sure would be interesting to

discuss this with RWK herself.

I'd welcome your thoughts on the matter.

kastilwell

Balance Is Not Passive

As much as I like this quote, 

I'm having an issue with the word "work".

It conjures up a sense of drudgery.

I prefer awareness and intention. 

They are not passive either.

"The raking out

and the putting in"

Like the tides,

or our breathing.

Activity is involved

but in a more gentle fashion.

Like weaving.

kastilwell

 

Build This Day

Recently, I discovered the metaphor

of seeing your mind like a large room,

and making it as comfortable and welcoming as possible;

with a "beauty drawer" where you keep

mementoes of your loves and triumphs. . .

images and such that bring you joy.

(My room has a beauty wall.)

This quote builds on that idea

although, in my opinion,

it carries strong masculine energy

which could benefit from some softening.

Dialing down the drive a bit.

It could use some circular adjustments

within it's linear momentum.

That being said, I like the idea

of, let's say, orchestrating the day

into something you've wanted all your life.

One you've been 

"envisioning and are 'now' creating".

I especially resonate with

"no matter how old you are"!

kastilwell

 

Let Solitude Welcome You

This quote caused a revelation for me.

I am fortunate to have plenty of solitude.

But here's the thing, and I feel it's important,

your solitude must be kind...

It must be a refuge where you find

the approval you need

and the reassurance you matter 

from within your own body of resources.

Where you become the trustworthy friend 

who sits with you through suffering.

A place where you can ugly cry when necessary.

Where you can face your mistakes and

endure their consequences without undue torment.

 A place where celebration is also a regular occurrence.

Where you can preen and savor every tiny moment of growth.

Where you can rest in quiet confidence that whatever is happening,

whether it feels delicious or delirious or devastating

is fertilizer for strength and resilience.

kastilwell

 

Reading and Writing

This quote elicited a burst of instant recognition in me.

I never equated reading with meditation and why not?

Many voices provide inspiration and solace in silence

as I read and resonate with the words.

There is a chorus of them in my mind

accompanying me on my way.

The word 'miracle' is not one I would use,

but with respect to Vonnegut, I include it.

The key, for me, is the chorus. 

Some voices can be compelling in the moment 

and fade with time.

Others remain constant and true

across the eon's.

kastilwell

Move With the Water

 This quote rattled be a good bit.

Which is why I have to pay attention.

It was like a wake up call from a good friend.

I'm not even sure what it is I'm not ready for;

even so, my intent is to "move with the water",

which is pouring out of the sky right now,

creating tiny rivers on the way to

joining larger rivers, and even larger ones,

on and on to the mighty river of goodness.

kastilwell

Dancing In the River

 I'm sharing this again in celebration

after the news from Nevada.

Let's savor this.

May the power of the river continue

growing stronger and expanding.

kastilwell

Wounded World Feeds Us

I'm thinking this is a great quote to end this week with.

May we heal this wounded world

so she may go on feeding us

and giving us moments of

wonder and joy.

I'm feeling hopeful 

and enormously grateful

to know the river of goodness

is flowing and growing.

kastilwell

 

Acts of Restoration

I'm thinking everyone in this circle 

knows this and practices it.  

I'm thinking how each one of you model this for me.

I marvel when I reflect on the change

I've experienced in my lifetime.

May we continue with "acts of restoration".

May this trajectory toward 

"restoring honor to the way we live"

gain momentum and power.

May we be able to walk 

with humble dignity 

with all earth's creatures.

kastilwell