ode to Caregivers

many reasons
the choice
to care
for another –
love,
guilt,
greed,
obligation,
tradition,
expectation.
regardless,
this work
takes much
in and from.
it tests patience
and frays boundaries,
can become
all encompassing
and, at times,
heartbreaking.
critical, caregiver,
to care for yourself
in equal measure.
fill your cup
to then pour from,
eat with abandon
to then feed
with boundless compassion.
.
πŸ™
.
❀️

this is The Way

once
upon a particular time,
there lived a little girl.
curious was she,
always observing and asking,
wondering and wandering,
in her own world.
one day,
she came to a fork in her road.
“hmmmm…,”
she exclaimed,
bemused.
“this is The Way,”
an old Owl pointed.
“no, that is The Way,”
a young toad insisted.
perplexed no more,
the little girl
promptly
sat
down.
.
πŸ™

stretching

don’t feel like
what I was
then
just yesterday.
body feels looser,
more spacious.
mind,
lighter
a little less judgment
and constriction.
heart
beats slower,
breaks faster,
heals
spontaneously.
all of me
stretching,
breaking agreements
defying parameters
that no longer fit.
maturity
settling in,
eldership,
dusk.
.
πŸ™πŸ₯°
.

defund hate, please πŸ™

despite
the clear mandate
of all religions
and spiritual
practices,
we humans
cannot
permanently
defund hate.
we speak of
peace,
love,
inter-beingness;
write books
and sing songs
of overcoming
someday.
we fancy ourselves
the superior species,
“civilized”
technological advanced –
and yet –
fueled by agitation
steeped in fear –
we choose
the same
tired
dance –
hate,
dehumanization,
domination,
revenge,
war.
over
and over
and over
again –
even as
no evidence
of sustained
effectiveness.
still,
thankfully πŸ™
always,
Hope,
for where there is
darkness,
Light a patient Presence,
at first a mere speck,
a lone voice in the vast wilderness,
then brilliant glimmers
and a soaring chorus.
.
πŸ™πŸ’•

re-mind-er

been immersed
in The Woods
this past week,
roaming blissfully
amidst
trees –
majestic fir,
medicinal cedar,
soaring pine.
each a teacher πŸ™
emanating wisdom –
urgent re-mind-er:
universality
connectivity
community
reciprocity.
messages abound about
The Cycle of Life:
birth
maturation
shedding
inevitable decline
and demise
re-purpose
re-birth.
re-mind-er of
similarities
and uniqueness,
of patterns
and curious deviations,
of Life’s creativity,
humor,
generosity,
and relentless
fearless
experimentation
and playfulness.
re-mind-er
of the ancient
intimate
dance
between
fire and water
de-struction and re-generation.
re-mind-er
of Life’s stunning fragility
and astounding resiliency,
and of Its preferred
pace:
slow
steady
silent
infinitely patient.
no rush,
only profound Trust.
.
πŸ™

expiration date

been thinking
and talking
about death
more
lately
within community
and in Solitude.
wondering
about
the expiration date
for this present
embodiment.
perhaps,
the prompt
for this contemplation
is an impending
“birth” day –
completion of
one cycle,
the beginning of another.
no guarantee
of continuing.

friends 4eva

here we are
us Three –
finally –
in a City of Love
on our first trip.
we talked of travel
almost from the Moment
we met –
eight years ago,
brought together by –
of all things –
pasta
at a communal table,
in a tiny New York apartment
brimming
with love and vulnerability.
who knew then
that we’d be
friends 4ever
no matter where
life placed us.
.
πŸ™
.
.

take a trip

called to take a trip,
looked without
was immediately redirected
to within –
some barriers –
long ignored –
now ready to be
explored,
softened,
and then
fully integrated.
no meaningful present
nor move forward
without looking
back
through different lenses.
.
πŸ™
.

Ice Cream

you kept me afloat
when every fiber
within
ached to dissolve
into The Abyss.
.
you soften me
when numbness
threatened
a corporal takeover.
.
you gently calmed
when agitation
penetrated
deep
into my bones
and invaded my Soul.
.
with each taste of you,
the nervous system
settled,
the breath eased,
the heart, slowed down.
.
your cold
warmed me.
your rich, velvety texture
tethered.
.
often my only source of joy,
you were a faint glow in a long tunnel.
.
no you,
no me
here
now.
.
πŸ™

Lifetime Work

unconditional
un-conditioned
Love of OneSelf
is
Life
Time
Work.
an easy path,
it is not
nor one for the faint of heart.
demanding, unrelenting
work,
this quest for ego-less
Love of
Self.
a bit of an expedition,
deep dive digging.
venturing into the tender realms
and shadowy spaces,
this Journey goes way back –
to the Womb
and generations beyond.
a constant unfolding,
mirrors abound,
reflections, astound.
an end
does eventually come
and with it
complete transformation.
.
πŸ™