Quiet Reflections and Prayers
Because I had felt
the subtle shifting
at the bottom
of my heart
and noticed
its reflection
outside of me,
I continued on —
keeping my focus
in my heart —
whispering,
feeling,
and being
that same quiet prayer
I had followed
so long ago —
when it was
all that was left.
I found this
silent holding
prayer began to
reach far —
through the
wounded places —
into the tender,
most creative
magical spaces
in my heart
that couldn’t be
reached in other ways —
the ones that
carried on
so gently
through any kind
of storm.
I thought
I wanted to be
understood
or fixed.
But when it really
got down to it,
I wanted only
to find a place
where it was
safe
just to be me.
When the world
becomes noisy
and I can’t fit
all of the pieces
together,
I will stand still
in my heart.
And I will
find comfort —
knowing I am
held with love.
Amen
And so I vowed
to go to the
very center of
my heart,
to do whatever
was required,
not knowing
what I would find
or if I would ever
make my way back,
no longer waiting
for relief
or healing
from outside of me —
reaching only
for the faint whispers
from a place
almost forgotten..
I found
if I could
reach far enough
without giving up,
at the bottom of
every painful emotion
and experience
was this pure love.
And the way back
into it
was always
straight through.
Give us strength
to hold our ground
in our hearts.
If ever there was
a need for such strength,
it is surely now.
Help us to remember
what it feels like
to listen
from this place —
to filter out
what is most true —
that we will
always find our way.
Amen
Thank you
for this quiet prayer
that frees my attention
to focus again
on this experience
in front of me
and to follow
where it leads.
May it always return
to the quiet space
in my heart —
where all experience
is honored —
where there is
always just enough
understanding and insight —
where no words
are needed
but flow
out sweetly anyway.
Amen
I found a little magic
in the way I began
to honor
and allow feelings
to pass through me,
no longer meeting them
as the tightly
held together sense
of self
with a neatly
packaged story
as before,
but as the one
who was free
to explore and meet life
as it appeared
in each moment —
as a quiet prayer.
It became increasingly helpful
to meet life
from a gentler place.
And so I held
my ground within
my heart —
remembering how
I had so delicately
held and let go
of all that crossed
my path
as I found my way
to this position —
letting go of all
I couldn’t sort out
all at once —
noticing as
pieces came together —
a little at a time —
naturally —
without my
over-thinking
and doing.
And with this same
natural motion,
I continued on.
Laurie's Notes 