I learned to listen
with my heart,
to experience
what was right there
in front of me,
and to trust
the natural response
to arise
as a prayer —
somehow, mysteriously
sinking
down into all the places
I had tried so hard
to reach.
Naturally
There was a kind
of relief
in realizing
I didn’t need to
fit all of the pieces
together.
I didn’t need to
force feeling better.
I didn’t need
to force anything
or be anything
other than what
was there
naturally —
underneath.
Borrowed Time
There was something precious
about getting down to
the core —
something raw —
a quieting,
a letting go
of the need to be
anything more
than life living itself
naturally —
stillness moving
on borrowed time
in no time —
releasing
and affirming itself
silently or as
a whisper.
Resolve
And so I
jumped to the core
of my heart —
because there was
nowhere else
to search —
or because I sensed
the directness
of that move
and the resolve
of all the pieces
of my heart
to lead me
to the peace
I knew was there.
Naturally Reflected
May we know
the meaning of
happiness a little more
intimately —
a little more deeply.
And may it be
naturally reflected.
Amen
Gentle Loving Strength
Thank you
for the ability
to be gentle and loving
and the strength
to go against
what we must —
to follow
our own hearts.
Remind us of the beauty
that comes out of
living from a place
of true compassion.
Give us courage
to find our own
inner space
and to honor
this space in others —
to keep returning
and living
from here —
that we may
truly love.
Amen
A Gentler Way
Thought became secondary
to the listening,
a kind of
inside out version
of how it had been —
a way of staying
within a natural flow —
reconnecting with
and exploring
my inner self
and outer world
in a gentler way.
To Listen with My Heart
I found myself
listening to life
in a way I could only
discover through direct
experience,
an exploration of how
this worked for me —
aided by my observations
of others,
my willingness
and innate ability
to listen with my heart
and trust what it revealed.
There
I found I didn’t
need to wait
for everything
to come together
or fall apart —
or dance all
the little pieces
of my heart
into a corner.
In any moment,
I could return
to zero.
And I always met
just the right pieces
there.
Starting From Zero
Out of necessity,
I found myself
starting from zero.
And to my surprise,
it was most beautiful place.
And though I wanted
to find my way back,
I always returned
to zero.
And I never felt the need
to find a label
for everything
In fact, I searched
everything for zero.
