to see the cool bright day before me
and take in the music of garden,
the distant murmur of the sea.
To remember the stars above my head
whenever I waken
and the moon slowly turning
around the planet turning too.
To remember the continents afloat
and the sands over the mountain
at the beck and call of waves.
To enjoy each breath I am afforded
and to smile more than I have, to smile in the eyes.
To smell the freshness of time in the morning
instead of feeling chased all my life.
To learn the meaning of rest in a given moment
and to give back generously.
I am seeking to throw off this old skin that
hinders movement.
May I be born all over again
and see everything for the first time?
May I be able to appreciate the
glorious life I've been offered?
May I take your hands and be led
in peace and quiet even though there
is a noise, a chaos all around me.
Let me be in the silent place
of knowing I am loved.
Amen.
Jenneth Graser
Photography - Bethany Legg Unsplash
Thank you my friend. I too have written on the silence today but not embracing it as much as you.
ReplyDeleteRETREAT
I over-estimate myself.
Work, family, health.
None of the balls can fall.
For the people who need me,
I need stand upright.
Its how I identify myself,
as needed, valued, loved.
Whole, God.
Not hollowed out.
Not cracks in the ramparts.
Foundations that don’t support
my weight.
Not shedding the insubstantial props which hold me up,
the roles I inhabit.
God, I underestimate you.
Wooing me away.
I don’t like the silence,
even less the weak dependence.
The guilt of reserving energy for me.
I don’t like where you
lead.
For lonely is the walk.
Is there a place
you intend for us to reach?
Or is it one blind corner
that follows the next.
God, what’s up front?
I can’t see, but
peace and hope are relentless.
More aggressive than the ailments
that appear to conquer.
More real than pain and weakness.
More lasting than temporary struggle.
God, I underestimate myself.
Work, family, health.
The balls that fall, roll and submerge.
The people who need me
become the people to bear me up.
Needed, valued loved?
I am to you and that’s enough.
Whole, God?
Someone said that holes make more room for joy.
More room for you.
And that surrender is another word for trust.
That the place you lead us is never far ahead,
but on the floor,
where you make a bower for our love.
Ana Lisa de Jong
Living Tree Poetry
November 2017
Oh my Lisa, this is so beautifully real and straight from the heart place. The pain and hope that you share means so much. Sue Monk Kidd has written a book Where the heart waits I think it's called, about the stretch of midlife. I'm sitting with that stretch and feeling my way forward. Looking for a silence that heals. Love to you xx
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