"Wouldn't take nothin for my journey now..."

I set off to know

From whence I came and dug up

My Identity

A fertile life grows

Deep entrenched in the soil.

Seasoned and enriched

Wash away my pain

Pull me close to your bosom

Sing away the tears

Speak of heart felt blues

Deep as the rich pigments of
Lapis Lazuli

Sunday Mornin

Claiming my journey,

Walking in the shoes of my truth.

Scarred, happy, and strong.

Bird songs wake the day

Its sings three times come and see

New dawns bright sun

God breathed on the Earth.

Leaving snow covered valleys

To seek quiet rest.

Organic love grows.

Wild and free.  Choke not its path

Let love have its way.

Whistling teapot

Come and sip the Chamomile

See my leaves read calm.

My husband thinks I'm going a little crazy counting out words and syllables on my fingers.  He just counted out on his fingers - "I am go-ing to the bath-room"  (Yep, he's on the journey too!)

Dark woman swinging.

Curvy hips swaying in time.

Smooth and Mellow notes

Time for big moon rise!

Popcorn preview at sunset.

Howling starts at eight.

Pack your bags and go.

Eyes forward.  Do not look back.

The pathway is set.

My sister offered a verse of Haiku...

In another world
Listening to the silence
Inner dialogue.

Thank you Tamara, I love your creative spirit!

The love trek...

Steve gave me an unexpected valentine.  We awoke Saturday morning to attend to business in downtown DC and after we finished Steve drove us to the National Gallery of art to replace a broken mug my mom gave me for Christmas.  Instead of us spending the day together he said go have fun.  He dropped me off so that I could trek through the museum alone.  You don't usually think of celebrating a valentine gift alone however I prefer trekking through a museum without him.  I can go where I want when I want and don't have to feel rushed.   Totally loved this!!!  I took in the Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections.  To think these pieces are relics from the time of Constantine dating back to the 4th thru 15th centuries.  It sets my heart a flutter to walk amongst art that is so old.
You are not allowed to take pictures so here is a link.

https://www.google.com/search?q=byzantine+icons&rlz=1RMBKJA_enUS575US575&oq=byzantium+icon&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l3&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8&hl=en-US&espv=1

Journeying Alone 
To uncover life's beauty.
Ah, the bliss of it!

A deep hunger to 
feed my creativity.
Artistic soul food.

Call ancient spirits.
Offer reliquary gifts.
Old creating new.

Sing deep inside me
Passionate refrains of art.
Lingering sweet songs.

Long looks Green Man's gaze
From autumn to sprouting spring
Spy hints of new life.

My heart is opened
My senses are on fire
Ready, set, leap, fly....

I went to all kinds of places in the museum.  I climbed stairways that lead to nowhere and discovered pieces of sculpture.  

I wrote this haiku after gazing on the icon called "Man of Sorrow"

Bowed head, pain closed eyes.
May we display your sorrow
Should we know your grief?

Tired dust soaked feet
Bruised by life's hard thorny path
Yahweh, wash my feet?

It's the end of my day and I am traveling home on the train.  My heart is full.  As Harriet my mother- in-law says:  "My cup runneth over..."

In Yahweh's Light

While a-journeying

I heard your praying heart sing

Songs of peace and rest.

Paula shared with us that while in her room at the retreat center as she was in meditation stink bugs were attracted to the light she was using to journal by.  As they would fly over to her lamp light they would start from the top of a window and make the haphazard journey across the room to the light.  They were quite a nuiscance.  They are really dumb bugs.  They hit the wall or land on her paper and then she would swat them away.   They also would fly into the light only to die from the over exposure to heat.  What she noticed is when they took flighted they were committed.  There was no turning back or no false start.  It was all in.

Dumb is the stink bug.

Committed to winged flight.

Maybe not so dumb?

I'm drawn to your light.

Fixed and transformed in my mind.

Cleansing rays of hope

Loose me from the chains 

That block your loving kindness.

Free me to receive.

This is a sunrise on the beach at Assateague State Park in September of 2013.  I left my campsite at 5:30 am to walk the beach and watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean.  Glorious!!!

Daysprings Bounty February 1, 2014

While on silent retreat at a beautiful woodsy and rustic area called Dayspring, I learned of a technique to focus my thoughts and unlock my feelings.  Writing Haiku.  These short sometime pithy sayings gave me the words to dig deep or lightly skin the surface without the clutter of too many words.  So begins my quest to capture my musings, feelings, and my imagination in 100 Haikus.  These are not profound or come from any place of great intellect, rather from the unpacking of my heart.  Join me.

These are the Haikus I wrote to begin this journey.

In this Solitude
God with me and I with God
Holy Communion

(just getting my feet wet....)

We started the meditation with a song.  I love the blending of voices.  Each very unique yet they come together and create 1 sound.  I think the blending of voices are one of God's miracles!

The Kingdom of God is
Blended Voices raised in song
Pure sweet harmony

Solitude of trees
Deep roots high soaring branches,
God's dwelling in me

Winter's morning sky
Bright the sunshines healing rays
Warms my wounded heart

While sitting on a bench in a bevy of trees the quite morning snow presented a great space for reflection.  Lingering on the bench I noticed a couple of crows cawing loudly and chasing each other through the high branches of the trees.  I wished them away but then I stopped and invited them into my experience of silence.  I just marvel at thier boldness.   

Loudly the crow caws,
Boldly taking upward flight
Owning its life gift.

Snow blankets the earth,

Dormant life.  Quiet waiting.

Healing balm of sleep.

We vessals of pain

Needing rightness of spirit

Cleanse me. Restore joy.

Trees like bundled souls

Rooted break the blowing winds.

Strong Community.

One of the excercise the facilitator gave us was to burn notes that we composed in a huge fire roaring in the hearth warming the room.  These notes represented things in our personal backpacks that were a burden to carry around.  I found this to be a very emotional exercise.  How do you unload things like fear of failure, or rejection or feelings of inadequacy?  How do I rid myself once and for all of the obstacles that hold me back.  Yes they are imaginary but still they feel real.  I suppose I have enough fuel for a bon fire.

Sacrificed failures
Fires flame devours all.
Dust and ashes, gone.

Shhh, wake not the voice
It clutters the mind with thoughts
Lay low in silence

Dare we define our possibilities based on our limitations?  Why would you let what ever happened in
the past evaluate you now.  God does not evaluate us this way.  Yahweh wants to move us forward.  Paula Montovany.