Standing
I stretch upward
Adonai
reach
back and back
Adonai
fall earthward
El Rachum v’Chanun
and I know
beyond knowing—
this is only one episode
of my life
of life unending
and I recall that to fly
you have to run
as fast as you can
and then let go
of all your weight
run from all you know
that is how you let go
and I breathe
free
Even in the wilderness–
Amid list-making and budgeting,
Despite overstuffed closets and the sorting of socks,
Even in the midst of our cluttered thoughts– there is holiness.
The sacredness of relationship,
The holy work of healing,
The divine text each human being brings into the world.
Holiness draws us wordlessly,
Nearer to her, to one another.
So that we become the trees of an orchard, swaying to her rhythms.
We nurture and comfort, gather and build,
Your fruit, my hunger;
my leaves, your shade
So that sleeping and waking and growing
Together, We become one.
So that breath becomes song,
And song tfilah
So that little by little
Particles and waves radiate sanctity.
Then will our briefcases and calendars become aware
Knowing that practicality sustains our existence
That holiness ensures our life.
together we go
walking—
down Talisman Avenue
across 15th and 17th
(where is 16th I wonder again)
up 18th’s long hill
and right on Joplin
and even if I know the way
because I plotted it years back
with Ari pushing
eagerly against his harness
my homeward stretch feels sweeter
with you beside me
like rolling
down a grassy hill
into a field
of wildflowers
fog interweaves
with morning air
fog As I walk
with guide dog Ari
fog and trust are all
that bind us together
that keep us planted
in the world
day follows day
unseen footsteps
mystic impressions,
bruises beyond explanation.
fog and trust and
love
are all we have,
are All we are.
feathered fairies
flittering
skittering
silently skyward
are everywhere
listen
they call from treetops
to one another
and to you
and if you really focus
calm your jittering
senses
focus your eyes
your heart
your mind
there they are
hovering near you
turning your blackest moments
into luminescent rubies
white butterfly
dances
amid roses
day lilies
bubbling
stone fountain
broken glass
cigarettes and ash
white butterfly
glistens
in the grass
silent as hope
Pop!
And then there was silence.
“What was that?” my husband, Jeff asked.
I looked past my bowl of Scottish oatmeal, sipped my tea, and shrugging, asked, “Is it the whole neighborhood?”
It was.
So no electricity for a while. Meaning, no lights, no radio tuned to our favorite classical station, no dishwasher, and—oh, no, no way to access the internet!
For a moment I felt totally cut off from the world. What would I do without my morning perusal of blogs? After all, pondering the latest from Blue Feet Bamboo Flute has become a sweet, sweet start to my days. And what about catching up with the writings of friends like Patty at Campbell’s World, and Linda from Walking By Inner Vision , not tomention Annie at Thought Wheel and Abbey at Abbey’s Corner?
I carried my tea into the living room and tried to collect my thoughts. The room was suspended in dim hues of pink and shadowy blue, and was sanctuary-still– except for giggly voices of children outside.
I smiled.
Life surrounded me as always, supported by Love Divine, the only true power of the universe. And while I missed the virtual company of my sweet blogging friends, we remained connected in Love. This moment was at hand in all its glimmering promise, this moment of silent meditation and Divine Presence, a gift to me and any who would yield to it.
I missed reading the uplifting thoughts of fellow bloggers, sure, but I could send my own word-doves out into the cosmos on their behalf.
And so I did…just before finding Jeff to share sweet conversation over a game of Scrabble.
I was taught
shoes are dignity
worth more than the beam
of my roof
the means for arriving
at the House of Prayer
but in my closet
shoes gather
gossiping like hens
they are tumble weeds
obscuring my path
the path through moss
and dewy meadows
the path into the garden
of delights
where You wait
to dance with me
beneath Heaven’s canopy
Last week I was deeply touched to be invited to participate in the 3.2.1 Quote Me Challenge by Krishnapriya from
http://wwwbluefeetbambooflute.com
Thank you, my sweet friend!
And dear readers, if you seek words which will open your heart and understanding, gentle, probing explorations of human experience, I encourage you to drop by and linger for a while.
http://wwwbluefeetbambooflute.com
Coming to the challenge, these are the rules.
• Thank the selector
• Post 2 quotes for the dedicated topic of the day
• Select 3 bloggers to take part in ‘3.2.1 Quote Me Challenge’ • And give them a topic/word
There is no specific deadline, although it says topic of the day, and one can choose to answer whenever one wishes.
Krishnapriya has offered the word ”blessing”, and I must say, oh, my, to ponder the word “blessing” is a gift, thank you sweet
Krishnapriya!
To me, blessings are the sacred strands of Love and Life which criss-cross my life experience, upholding and encircling all existence. I stumble upon them in sweet moments of wonder and delight, when it is possible to touch the fringes of Divinity, when I feel connected to everything and everyone, to Life, itself. And the more I recognize blessings, one by one, the more I find them everywhere.
And how wondrous that in Hebrew, the word brachah stands for both blessing and pool.
So for me, blessing becomes that moment of realization, of seeing self and other as reflector of Divinity, of finding refreshment and renewal from the sense of Goodness, or Godness found in the moment, the situation.
I learned from my beloved teacher Rabbi Moshe Berger that” God gets down on his knees, plays on our level, wants to connect with each of us, wants to tell us what it means to be Godly, and how to relate to Him”. I may be full of imperfection and doubt, but I am part of Life for a reason: to generate qualities of Holiness, to reflect Divinity, blessing.
And as I wrote once about rejoicing with Torah:
“Come rain, you living waters.
Fill our skies, our ditches, our hands.
Fill our pitchers, our mouths, our being.
Fill our spirits with rejoicing.”
And between our breathing, brachah—
A blessing, a pool.
Three lovely people I ask to accept the challenge are:
Linda at
http://www.Walking by Inner Vision.com
Patty at
http://www.CampbellsWorld.com
Annie at
http://www.ThoughtWheel.com
The word I offer for your consideration is: Discovery
Can’t wait to get your take!
And to each of you who reads this little blog, who takes time to comment and share—Thank you so much…you are a blessing to me!
Joan Myles
http://www.jewniquelymyself.com
rushing to sing
My feet stumbled
And I fell
Just far enough
To find Love
Encircling me
just near enough
to catch her
wordless melody
