Quiet Reflections and Prayers
I return
in silent reverence
to this quiet place
tucked away within
my heart,
where there is sadness,
where there is pain —
pain that can’t be labeled
or spoken —
tears left behind in
exchange for
the longing to return —
knowing the power
of standing still
and the sacredness
of the journey back.
— Laurie, What’s Right Here
I found a place of
stillness within —
reflected first
outside of me
in others who stood
in the center
of their own hearts.
I found great beauty
in the vulnerability
and strength
it took to stand
in that place,
to listen —
to show up
with a natural
compassion for self
and other
and the pure intent
to hold
what was there.
When you reach
a quiet place
and there is sadness,
when the world seems
a little too intense again,
close your eyes
and remember
the softness of your soul.
— Laurie, What’s Right Here
Because I had tired
of the endless searching,
I dared to go
to the edge —
past the pieces
I had tried to fit
together and arrange,
beyond the chaos
on the surface
and below,
not giving up,
not waiting for
one more minute
or one more
reason to turn back —
determined to
find my way
to the very center
of my heart
in that very moment —
where there was calm.
In the calmest part
of my heart,
that which
in all the shattering
couldn’t be broken,
there is solace —
here.
— Laurie, What’s Right Here
My Dear Inner Healer,
If I should ever forget
the sacredness
of this journey,
if I should ever
feel lost
or disconnected,
remind me to listen
with my heart.
Wrap me in
your arms
and hold me close
forever and ever
Amen
There is a
quiet connection
in the stillness
of my heart —
a peace containing
all emotions
and yet only love.
— Laurie, What’s Right Here
When there were
no words to match,
when the outer world
failed to reflect
what was most true,
I vowed to stand stilll,
to hold my ground —
to never again
let go
of the stillness
within my heart.
As the challenges
and transformations
of this life
continue to be,
help us to remember
what is most true,
to have courage
to move in the direction
of truth,
to see from a higher place
and to feel
from below the surface —
to remain firmly
rooted in
a love unmatched
and unaffected by anything
in this world
but its own clear reflection.
Amen
And so I continued on —
holding what appeared
in front of me —
listening with my heart
and letting go
as it faded
and changed before me —
laughing at the silliness
of having tried
so hard
to figure out this life,
grateful that it had
led me safely back
to this state of prayer.
Laurie's Notes 