Monday, March 25, 2013

Poetry

And it was at that age ... Poetry arrived
in search of me. I don't know, I don't know where
it came from, from winter or a river.
I don't know how or when,
no they were not voices, they were not
words, nor silence,
but from a street I was summoned,
from the branches of night,
abruptly from the others,
among violent fires
or returning alone,
there I was without a face
and it touched me.

I did not know what to say, my mouth
had no way
with names,
my eyes were blind,
and something started in my soul,
fever or forgotten wings,
and I made my own way,
deciphering
that fire,
and I wrote the first faint line,
faint, without substance, pure
nonsense,
pure wisdom
of someone who knows nothing,
and suddenly I saw
the heavens
unfastened
and open,
planets,
palpitating plantations,
shadow perforated,
riddled
with arrows, fire and flowers,
the winding night, the universe.

And I, infinitesimal being,
drunk with the great starry
void,
likeness, image of
mystery,
felt myself a pure part
of the abyss,
I wheeled with the stars,
my heart broke loose on the wind. 
                 -Pablo Neruda


This week's poem was taken from the book entitled, Saved by a Poem, by Kim Rosen. Recently, I have been thinking a great deal about new beginnings and next steps. Do you think one must create them, or are they sent to us somehow in the form of intuition, similar to how Pablo Neruda seemed to be introduced to poetry? The intimacy of this poem was what really drew me to it. So beautiful, so wide open. 

Monday, March 18, 2013


The Light in Your Eyes 

If I had named you at birth
you would be called
Intensity
and if I had nurtured you from the start
I'd have made some mistakes
in the name of love
or so I would have said
and when the truth was revealed
I would have pushed back at it
so it would not crush you

A soul formed
dark and deep as Titan's witches brew
and a love
infinite as the stars in the sky
Blue as the light in your eyes.

                           -Janet Jordan



Today's poem was written by my friend Janet Jordan. She and I would chat back and forth about the joys of creativity. Creativity that often remained in the dark ....just between me, myself, and I. One day we decided to share some of our secret works with one another. She sent me several poems but there was just something about this particular one that somehow stayed with me a little longer than the others. So on this rather cloudy NYC afternoon, I proudly present the awesome poetry of Ms. Janet Jordan. 

Monday, March 11, 2013

The Truth About Love


In a room with a window in the corner, I found truth by An Gobán Saor
A photo by An Goban Saor


The Truth About Love


You are a prayer
Your presence a blessing
Your body a thing of beauty
The very fact that you even exist
A miracle beyond measure

Take a moment
Right here
Right now
To remember that you know how      
You have ALWAYS known how

To breathe in the light
To exhale the stars
To dance wildly on mountaintops
To stretch your heart around the world
To be a raging river of mercy

Let this holy truth
Pump and pulse
Through every vein and artery and capillary
Of your sweet body

You are love
Only love
Endless love
Unceasing love
Forever love

You
Yes you
Are the gorgeous, blessed, dazzling sacred heart of love

                           -Chris Zydel

Friday, March 8, 2013

2nd Anniversary

It is here. It is March, and that would be the marking of my two year anniversary of being without a traditional full-time job. Also, the beginning of creating a blog where I could remain open, curious ...Inquisitive.

I clearly remember the feeling of being laid off from a job that I had for over 13 years. Scary, exhilarating, a little like jumping out of an airplane. Although, I've never actually jumped out of an airplane but it's definitely on the bucket list.:) 

My senses were overloaded with new ideas, new experiences ...some joyful, others quite painful.

It was within this time frame that I discovered my passions. I got the opportunity to volunteer my time and quickly become acquainted with folks that were sight impaired, as well as children who were autistic and had such an affinity for subjects such as yoga, art, and music, it literally took my breath away. And why the heck was I feeling so dead for so many years? So much to explore and enjoy about life. I realize that these were the souls ...big and small ...who were meant to take over where my prior work ended.

Today I am a certified children's yoga instructor. I also work part-time at the retail store that I used to manage on a full-time basis.

Life is weird, isn't it? You never really know where you're going to go. Would never have thought that I would be here doing what I am doing. And there is so much yet to explore and learn. Everything is New. 

I am often not always sure that I am on the right path. At times, it's scary as hell. It could also be quite lonely, as most people don't have the stomach to leave the tried and true, so you don't have many "co-workers" along side you. I know if the decision wasn't made for me, I might still be where I was.

So, in keeping within a celebratory mode ...after all this is an anniversary celebration for gosh sakes! Here's to everyone who is celebrating something New, something that just might have snuggled up to you quite incidentally  ...but luckily. 

Monday, March 4, 2013

just a few words



RUMI - HIS POETRY ILLUSTRATED IN ART by Citizen of Two Worlds
                                                                    a photo by Citizen of Two Worlds on Flickr.

The minute I heard my first love story
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.

Lovers don't finally meet somewhere.
They're in each other all along.

                                                                           -Rumi



This just reminds me how lovely even the shortest of poems can be. Trying to keep my eyes, ears, and heart open to different words that might come my way. Words that might cause a stir, as this one certainly did with it's luscious warmth. Would love to try and create some poetry of my own one day. Until then, I might just collect some interesting poems that I find on the way and share them here. 

What are some of your creative endeavors that are just waiting in the wings?