Darkness Turns

"Night Magic" was an eye opening read.

I have never been a "night" person. 

I come from a family who has sibling zoom calls at 5am.

And generally, mostly all (10) of us show up for them.

Our DNA imprinted me as a morning person.

So exploring night time wonders is going to be a stretch.

Leigh Ann Henion's description of the delights to be found

in the dark, is strong enticement.

Discovering how dark is a partner to light 

has expanded my perspective away from the duality 

so often associated with them.

That's why now, when I hear or read things 

that connect dark with bad things, I get twitchy.  

They are equal opposites.  Both are necessary for health and balance.

As I write this, I'm asking myself if the same goes for good and bad?

Are both necessary? 

Are they the way things are when painful things are denied and dismissed?

Either way, equal measures of good and bad is not my idea of well being.

You can see why I get twitchy when dark/black is defined as bad.

We need better words to talk about good and bad, don't you think?

In this moment of time, I am freeing myself from 

the association of dark with bad. I welcome the wisdom of it.

I'm  hope I can stay awake long enough to encounter it!

Namaste'

 

 

A Life Cherishing Force

"a life cherishing force"

Leave it to Mary Oliver to find such a splendid description.

"fires for the cold,

ropes let down for the lost,

bread in the pockets of the hungry.

I cherish my life with the force of poetry often.

The power of the words sustains me 

when things are cruel and complicated.

They expand my vision and alter my perspective.

I am eternally grateful for the maestros of words

who give us poetry, songs and stories.

A deep bow of thanksgiving to Mary Oliver,

those who preceded her and

 those who are following.

May the Cherishing Force be with you.

Namaste'

 

Destroy The Idea

Untangling myself from the ropes of this mindset

 requires constant vigilance.

"This isn't any good" is replaced with 

"did you learn anything?" or

"did you enjoy what you were doing?"

Losing the idea of an exhibit in some swank gallery

isn't easy to let go of but at this stage of my growth,

it's necessary and life enhancing.

Think about the positive energy added to the universe.

Be grateful for the good mood it enlivens

and how that affects the air molecules around you.

Do I like this?  Is the best question of all.

Most often, the answer is yes.

If it's not yes, the response is,

"let it go for now and come back to it."

I'm often surprised by how much better it looks with time.

It all matters.

Namaste'

 

Two Aspects of Awareness

I'm finding that becoming "aware of mortality and unknowing"

 is a prime factor in this waning time of my growing days.

I'm actually relishing the unknowing part because when things are

looking especially grim, it is reassuring to know 

I don't know how things will unfold. 

It keeps faith and hope alive and vibrant.

"Seeing our lives, and the lives of those around us,

through different lenses opens our heart and minds to the 

possibilities that surround us."

It's hard when things aren't going the way I hope for

and rely on.  But that doesn't mean they won't.

I remind myself I "haven't exhausted all the possibilities."*

We're in this together and we will prevail.

Namaste'

*Thomas Edison

 

There Are Times

This feels so poignant right now.

I'm not sure we need "the hardness

of an old cold place against which 

you can measure yourself."

Haven't we been holding ourselves there

for way too long?  

This is not to say, we shouldn't be aware of the

dangers of denial to what is happening.

Today, we have hard things to face.

Truth has been and is being corrupted.  

Some of our kin have been and are being groomed with falsehoods.

It is a malevalent force undermining our trust in each other

and in the institutions intended to provide equality and justice.

Yes, there are times "when we need the subtle flow of a river,

the song of a waterfall and the deep, slow presence of trees."

However, we have to braid them into the reality of our times.

There's something counterintuitive about how truth

has been and is being twisted.

Those infected with the malevalent virus hurl accusations

of the very things they are perpetrating.

It would be comical if it wasn't so deadly.

Fortunately, we are not alone...we are in this together.

We are creating new and better tools to alter this trajectory.

We can right what is wrong.

This is where we need the rock and the river and the trees to guide us.

Namaste'