The Shift

I did not make it happen.

This is the significant truth to acknowledge.

So, what role did I play?

My agency was (and is) in each affirmation of life,

in each "yes" to the invitations set before me to embrace the moment,

a receptive benevolence,

and the slow acceptance of pain,

honoring that ache as en ever-present friend

who reveals to me the depth of my love

and what I value,

savoring and longing

in dips and twirls

within the stillness

of this holy dance,

swaying,

swaying to the mucky and mystic music--

being quiet enough to hear my own breath.

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