Instructions For Perseverance

"I can sing through anything."

How I delight in this ode to chickadee.

This tribute to determination,

to perseverance,

to persistence.

The climate is frigid right now,

despite the delightful spring weather,

especially for those targeted by discrimination.

We must emulate the chickadee

protecting and defending 

everyone's right to dignity.

kastilwell

 

Safety Net

What a beautiful image--

this net to catch us all.

"Believing only in the fall.

But the net is just as real."

The programming of the fall is deep...

How different would the world be

if we'd been taught as diligently about the net?

Taught to believe that together, we make it 

tangible, strong, long lasting and unbreakable?

And no one has to pay for it in any way

other than being themselves and doing their best?

"the net is there for us as

we walk the days tightrope."

I'm grateful to Rosemerry for

giving me this image so I can

"notice how every tie matters."

kastilwell

 

The Awakening

What an excellent description 

of the River of Goodness.

To remember "we are more each other

and still somehow ourselves."

"Trusting our uniting currents"

is key, I believe.

kastilwell

 

Seeking Purpose

 For someone who constantly searches for purpose...

this poem goes right to the heart of it.

It's not laid out in clear, unmistakeable terms.

In my experience, it comes through paying attention

and being open to surprises and unexpected situations.

Some of the most enduring meaning comes when things are wretched.

There are many invitations to turn dross into gold.

Everything carries the potential for transformation.

A Different Holding Pattern

"If I am to hold the world in my heart,

let me hold it the way leaves hold sunshine,

trapping the energy not for the sake of holding it,

but to transform it into nourishment."

Let the bitters do their part,

providing contrast and tension,

But let the light lead the parade,

its spice provide the scintillating taste,

the deep, dark sustenance.

And, the sugar, 

be generous with the sugar,

throw in another handful,

there's always room for sweetness.

Fold it gently into the batter,

let the fragrance fill the landscape,

inviting all the neighbors.

Bake at infinite degrees,

distribute lavishly.

Gather the leftovers

and repeat.

kastilwell

 

The Bailiff Of The Heart

While doing mediation,

I spent some time in courtrooms.

Perhaps that's why this poem 

impresses me so much.

Finding love in the courtroom,

especially in the stern faced bailiff,

stretches your powers of imagination.

But isn't that what love does?

Stretching your assumptions

into seeing something differently,

more spaciously, 

with a more generous perspective?

It somersaults the storyline.

"She long ago gave up believe in justice.

Still, she believes in love."

kastilwell

 

The Plant People Have Taught Me

I am immensely grateful

for the plant people in my world.

They are an exquisite variety 

whom I cherish with all my heart.

I love the idea of all of us

"in a field ablaze with dignity and beauty

together."

kastilwell