Poems From The Porch
My eyes are drawn this morning to one pink gladiolus displaying her regal beauty. She doesn’t seem to be referencing the past or ruminating about the future. Rather, she has bloomed in her season,
is doing what is hers to do. Her life is not dependent on when or if her fellow flowers bud and open,
and she doesn’t ponder her purpose. It is enough for her to simply be,
to show up as herself. She seems to be trusting the process,
revealing one blossom and then another,
as she is ready and able. I don’t hear her fixating on ideas of grandiosity
or minimizing her own loveliness. Instead, she is offering her deep pink heart to those who would drink of its sustenance,
a generous self-giving that comes naturally to one who doesn’t think too much. For she intuitively knows that the purpose of her life is to love and be loved.
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