Poems From The Porch
The rooster is calling for the cool breeze to dissipate the thin, white clouds.
White yolk-bellied daisies and crimson Asiatic lilies are waiting in anticipation for the sunbeams to highlight their loveliness.
The warmth of the sunlight will tickle the yellow wildflowers making them laugh in waves, but now they are still as they rest in quiet trust.
Big, wet droplets are clinging to the green foliage — — a remnant of last night’s rain shower — — just like the residue that is lingering in my heart from my own reactivity.
Puddles of fresh water are slowly shrinking as the soft earth integrates their nourishment.
And I am integrating, too,
understanding how thinking about a thing and occupying my mind with illusory problems distracts me from the fullness of now,
and recognizing that conditions I place on my happiness are of my own choosing and give birth to my distress.
But I don’t want to birth suffering for myself or anyone else.
So, I take refuge in the part of me that knows, understands, and trusts the process of life — — the part that has no need for resistance, so goes with the flow.
I learn from the book of the day, replete with the teachings of the persevering oak, the transient beauty of the flowers, the generous affection of my animal companions, my own body’s persuasive communication, and the mystery of beingness.
And I embrace the love and support of the community of grace that appears
whenever I’m open
to participating.
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
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