When…
When you let go
of the fear,
the worry and
anxiety…
When you stop
the should,
didn’t, can’t
and sorry train…
When you accept
that what is
done is done,
what happened,
happened…
When you live
this day in
its entirety,
this moment
as the only
one that
matters – that
is real…
When you allow
your precious
self to be
fully human,
completely
still
and okay…
Then, the beauty
of today finds you
and brings you
to this
only moment…
Then your breath
is allowed
to be deep
and to resonate
with your
true heart…
Then, your
mind begins
to relax and
let go of terror…
Then, your
heart whispers
here is the truth
you are
seeking…
Then you know
that there is
life beyond the
worry and anxiety,
filled with beauty
and wisdom,
and that, truly,
all is well
and grace beyond
measure moves
you forward.
~Joss Burnel / She Who Walks in Beauty
Sometimes
when you get
to the end of your rope,
the best thing to do
is to let go
and pray for a soft landing.
Sometimes
when you get
to the end of your rope,
if you hold on for
just one more minute
someone will hold you
up so you can begin
to climb again.
Sometimes
when you get
to the end of your rope,
you realize the rope
is nothing but an
illusion.
Sometimes
when you get
to the end of your rope,
you find your wings.
~Joss Burnel
Meditation
I sit and watch the river
gently flowing past
it flows around rocks and
over large boulders
Bringing with it bits
of leaves and debris
that scatter here and there
along the way
There are spots with
shadows deep and dark
and others where the
sunlight sparkles
like a string of diamonds
on dark blue velvet
I hear the rush of its
flow and the birds
gently singing
their song wanders
in and out, now
louder, now paused
Always constant, now
shallow, now fierce
and almost overflowing
filled with life
flowing, flowing,flowing.
When my time spent
apart in meditation
is over, I am refreshed
and quietly step
back into the stream
of who I am.
~Joss Burnel / CCWOW
And On We go
Life seems to present us with opportunities to grow.
Confronts us with our own places of fear
sheds light on those things we keep in shadow
wanting to give us the opportunity to cheer.
To cheer ourselves beyond the limitations
to move us out of our comfort zone
to expose us to new situations
all the while reminding us we are not alone.
We can step forward
we can breathe deep
we can move toward
and take that wondrous leap.
Life presents us with opportunities to grow
gently, quietly, with confidence and pride
we can receive and allow grace to flow
and realize that love is along for the ride.
and on we go….
~Joss Burnel / CCWOW
My Voice is Not Your Voice
My voice is not
your voice
it is not for me
to wonder about
what you would
like to say or
even what you
want to hear.
My voice can only
be silenced if I
give in to your
requests to be quiet
to not disturb the
piece of your heart
devoted to self-interest.
My voice rings
loud and clear
when it springs from
within my heart.
When I take time
to listen to the voice
within
then, and only then,
can I speak to you
in purity,
in stillness and
compassion.
When my voice
moves through me
out into the world
from a place of
serenity and healing
it brings with it
love and blessing.
My voice is not
your voice.
Our world needs
both though.
Won’t you go
within, listen to
the wisdom that
lies deep within
you and then speak
to us of your
truth in all its
simplicity and grace.
~Joss Burnel / CCWOW
National Poetry Month
April, it seems, is National Poetry Month and there are many contests and opportunities to participate all around the Blogosphere.
Poetry isn’t a profession, it’s a way of life. It’s an empty basket; you put your life into it
and make something out of that. ~Mary Oliver
I confess I get lost in the rules, the details and recommended readings and doings. Perhaps, in school, I was one of the “Does Not Play Well With Others” kids simply because the ins and outs, the whys and wherefores of conduct and behaviour were more than I could fathom. And yet, always, there remained a desire to be part of, somehow and yet, always as well, on my own terms.
It is through poetry that we give name to those ideas which are – until the poem – nameless
and formless, about to be birthed, but already felt. ~Audre Lorde
I think Poetry Month is a grand thing – poetry is a grand thing! Poetry speaks to us in ways that words lined up in paragraphs somehow skip by. Poetry reaches into our heart, into our soul and moves us, sometimes, without us even knowing how or why.
Poetry is the journal of the sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the air. Poetry is a search for syllables to shoot at barriers of the unknown and the unknowable. Poetry is a phantom script telling how rainbows are made and why they go away. ~Carl Sandburg
In honour of April being Poetry Month, I’ll be posting some of my poetry here each day for the month. My way of jumping in and being part of a much bigger endeavour.
Listen to the drops of rain
falling gently on the roof
mice in tap shoes
dancing you to sleep.
Watch as a drop
slides down the window
gently, slowly,
arriving at its destination.
Feel the rain on your skin,
cold and beating against your face,
sending you inside where
warmth and love await.
Be a child,
splash through the puddles
and laugh out loud.
Rain, rain, go away?
~Joss Burnel / CCWOW
Love speaks to me
Love speaks to me
in gentle waves of
childhood memories.
Moments of sunshine
flying through the
air on the park swing,
eating ice cream on
a hot summer day,
finding a nickel on the
sidewalk and spending
it at the penny candy store.
Love speaks to me
on the wings of angels.
my daughter taking
her first breath,
the tears of a friend,
the knowing that there
is a grace that touches
my life and follows me
from day-to-day.
Love speaks to me
in thunder and lightning.
in strength to fight
for what is right and just
in power to be a woman
whose heart can break
and mend and stand
unbowed, unbeaten
proud, gentle and
fierce with tenderness.
Love speaks to me
and says
I am.
~Joss Burnel / CCWOW
