Poems From The Porch
One petite daylily is blossoming near the ground.
Her cousins in another garden are growing tall and regal.
A solitary dove is offering her mournful song.
It is a soft melody that has the feel of plush, gray velvet, quite distinct from the bluejay's harsh cry,
which sounds like lightning.
A red-plated hibiscus is staring at me from between the trees and outside the kitchen window of the house where my mom once lived.
This crimson beauty is a remnant of a life well-lived
who has transformed through death into another aspect of Beingness.
I see you.
Maybe one day I will feel your smile and be able to receive the love behind it.
But for now, it suffices to remember you fondly.
The gifts of the morning are many.
I look up and notice bees enjoying the fuchsia flowers of the crêpe myrtle, as am I.
The wind is existing mostly in potential today,
which reminds me of the implicit order supporting reality
and how conditions must be right for the manifestation of anyone, anything.
This gives me hope and inspires awe at the fact of my own incarnation,
knowing, too, that when conditions cease to align,
I will no longer see through these particular eyes.
But just like the seemingly non-existent wind,
nevertheless,
I will be.
Engaging With The Poem
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.
How To Practice Sacred Reading
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