Quieting

From Within

From the outside,

the changes

seemed subtle

at first.

But from within,

it was clear

there was

something different

here —

a steady kind

of deepening,

a whisper of peace

where there had been

none,

a contentment

independent of

outer circumstances

and past struggles,

but always connected —

a life unfolding

sweetly

out of the quiet prayer

within my heart.

And there was nothing

subtle about that.

Reflections

From There

Somehow I got it

that I was moving

in a direction

that wasn’t exactly

where I had wanted

to go.

I had to back up

and look again

from my heart

for whatever it was

I thought I’d been

seeking —

to start over again —

though I had been

trying for so long.

And so I looked

around me —

from exactly where I

stood

and started again

from there.

Reflections

Whatever It Was

At a certain point,

the only real

option was to hold

the space within —

to retreat

in surrender

to the quiet prayer

of my heart —

not knowing

how or if

it would affect

anything else.

But it was the only

real option left —

again and again.

The landing became

softer

after a while.

And it didn’t seem

to matter so much

what met me

in that place.

Whatever it was

had to know

the sweetness

of that same

surrender.