The Illusion of Perspective

A spotlight is shining on a white-petaled flower,
 making it appear pink.

 Projection colors perception,
 sometimes enhancing experience
 or alternatively, diminishing it.

 Clear seeing will always involve love and innocence
 because beingness is inherently precious.

 The young tree in front of me has its scars
 and so has altered its course of growth around them.

 Its scabs represent a response to the conditioning life as presented,
 but doesn’t change its intrinsic innocence.

 Can’t blame the tree for adapting around its wounds.

 These marks are trophies of its existence,
 hard-won and sometimes slow to integrate in its journey.

 They don’t increase or decrease the tree’s essential value.

 We all show up as a valid expression of life unfolding.

 So, don’t be fooled by the spotlight.

 Poetry can be a doorway to the soul and your own creativity. Throughout the ages, the written word has been used as a means to access personal truth and as a vehicle for prayer through the practice of sacred reading (lectio divina). I encourage you to try this beautiful practice and let its truths to be self-evident.

 Read+Reflect+Respond+Rest

 READ the passage through slowly more than once, noticing how it feels in your body and the response of your heart.

 REFLECT: What word resonates with you? What phrase speaks to you? What overall personal meaning comes to you? Allow yourself to follow a tangent.

 RESPOND by making space for the prayer of your heart to manifest. Write down the words and/or phrases that resonate with you, and allow them to arrange themselves into your own poem or prayer.

 REST with your eyes closed, perhaps using the word that most resonates with you as your mantra for silent meditation.

Dear friend,

 May your mind be peaceful and calm,
 may your body be relaxed and comfortable,
 and may your heart be filled with love.

 Thank you for reading.

 Blessings and gratitude,
 Ani