With animals it's so easy I never have to say a word they don't ask for explanations for the parts of me that are broken they don't hold me up to the image of who I was yesterday, last week, last year we are here together now, and I am loved for whoever I have to be today Their innocent, trusting, glossy eyes tap the glass of my most tender places they are the mirror of the best parts of me gleaming emblems of unconditional positive regard They are the guiding light to perfect peace humble teachers of how to be grateful reminders of the way life was supposed to be with the simple joy of full-bodied presence I stay far away from anyone who says they don't like animals god only knows what goes on beneath the skin of someone like that
peace
It’s Alright Now
Everything will be alright everything that you are whispers these ribbons of truth to secure me suspended safely above fear Everything will be alright every soft exhale assures me a hum of energy that emanates through your piercing gaze Everything will be alright everything that I am believes you when you quell my trembling with one firm embrace Everything will be alright finally I have found my rest this soft feather bed of emotion the love that I feel for you
The Gift of Giving In
Sore fingertips, small red stains smeared across the fabric of my psyche thousands of tiny, pin-prick punctures trying to stitch gentleness in between the sudden trembling of a quick temper Shh, shh, shushing a sweltering soul don't waste these final moments with fury violent shouts for justice and change have dwindled into whispers for self surrender the somber effort of retreating inward Giving up is a final gift for myself now it's time to just sit down and learn to savor these last glimpses of blue sky to let myself have a few more brief moments to enjoy, to smile, to simply breathe Momentous effort of wrestling my willfulness to stay focused on this unfamiliar intention of unclenching my jaw, relaxing my face softening my muscles, as I practice letting go teaching myself to be present with this fleeting peace Soon enough I will have no choice but to fight and scream and suffer for now I will work on collecting all the small joys that are left for me here creating memory tonics for what's to come
Warm Thunder
The crashing calm of thunderstorms shouting down the voices inside my head the violent contrast of safety indoors simple gratitude for physical shelter There is no need to rush around when the electric atmosphere hisses overhead the deep, rumbling growls of dark clouds vibrate at a strangely soothing frequency The forced introspection of sunless days feels less daunting when it rains there is plenty of time for me to decide all the important things that press upon me Today I have the chance to listen and breathe in the moist, cool air claps of thunder like mindful bells guide me back to this small moment
The Ocean Breathes
Serenity resides beside the seashore beneath the salty breath of the ocean the rhythmic humming of the heavy tide reminds me to breathe deeply The liquid lungs of this sacred planet the dark, watery womb of all life releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while it sways against the weight of the moon The crashing exhale of massive waves chases away all fears of letting go hypnotized by the back and forth of forces far greater than I The awe-inspiring grandeur of the undulating sea brings a deep sense of peace I've been holding my breath
Stop Searching
The healing hum that reverberates through all the small, silent moments can become buried beneath the louder frequencies of frustration and forward motion The panicked pace of ungrounded grasping the breath that's stolen while being swept off your feet it can feel like dying to slow down, to surrender momentum in favor of savoring the soft rustling outside your window Finding peace can be counterintuitive stop flipping over rocks and just pause to feel the cool stone against your skin and hear the whispering stream gurgle past It's hard to accept that happiness is here when we've wasted so much time searching learning to laugh at ourselves like when we've been seeking the object that's been in our hand the whole time It's the simple things that will save us if we can sit with the fear that they won't be enough in the end they will
Trying to Remember
Ambition takes too much energy I'd rather just exist it feels like a fever finally breaking when I realize I can do this The American dream was supposed to mean the chance to enjoy your life not a nagging necessity to make money for companies subconsciously convincing us to strive I never asked for the social climbing goals of others to become pressed upon my spirit I have no interest in cars, mansions, or expensive clothes these things aren't happiness, they're nowhere near it Time is what we've traded for trinkets as we transmute our souls to stone missing our one chance to see the sun and all the vibrant life it has grown Wiping this incessant spell from my eyes every morning that inoculates me with discontent a centuries long mission to sever these bodies from the intuition Source has sent The perfect simplicity of existence is obscured by billboard advertisements and insidious corporate greed it takes hours of inner struggle every day to remember I already have everything I need
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-eight years spent in the same place that felt like a prison when I was sixteen It once seemed like failure not escaping to surroundings exciting and unfamiliar somewhere far away But now I see it as a blessing to grow where you are planted to traverse the same worn paths through friendly trees in summer To sit upon the same faithful earth that holds mementos of my childhood and watch the slow changes in myself reflected back by the whispering hillsides Sharing secrets with the soiled river that has always known me more deeply than anyone could through words alone as it runs alongside my inner life The quiet protection of the thick woods softly urging me onward in time tiny hands searching for fish hook treasures among steep, rocky shores just outside of town The awesome unfurling of a life and a land intertwined the profoundly soothing resonance of a home that's greater than home
West Virginia
There is no heaven I'd rather have than the deep forests of West Virginia Mother Nature manifested in lush, rustling hillsides filled with life My own soul disguised in blushing red and gold and the dark, faithful hues of evergreens a swelling awe that overwhelms the senses and speaks to the divine seed inside us all Burning billion year old lights engulf the sky every night humbled and held in the vastness of this existence how could I ever leave this perfect, peaceful pocket? what more could I ask for than this majesty? Winding roads I know so well echo with all the heartbreak I've hurled into the mountains to be absorbed and transformed into new song The very best parts of me are interwoven into the dark earth and dirty rivers profound connection can be felt in every glance outside my window Home has never been a house with four walls it is here among the dense, ancient trees that tower all around me and offer shelter from the harsh realities of human life I am so grateful that I am able to intimately know this earth of mine and recognize its soft, subtle sighs as I allow her wind and water to carve into me
Passenger
A coyote cuts across the foggy highway a life held inside indecision, a moment's hesitation could be a violent end of everything all at once Sulfurous air that once shrouded out the sun a sudden impact that swallowed the earth in many decades of dark, lifeless winter Time has a way of emphasizing the absurdity of right and wrong when final outcomes are impossible to predict Half the suffering I've known has been an inner upheaval of moral outrage resistance to the evils of this world My stormy turmoil subsides if only I can learn to surrender all judgement and accept my place as a humble passenger Who am I to hold dominion over the way life is supposed to unfold? I prefer the role of patient witness anyway To watch with curious eyes and an open heart ready to embrace all of life with equanimity a grateful submission to existence beyond understanding To play my small part with a soft hand extending a gentle, hopeful intention of pure love prepared to let go of any and all expectations Tender feet along the balustrade, balancing between engagement and surrender too often falling into indignation and anger The perpetual repetition of life can be tedious but it offers endless chances to keep trying precious lessons linger behind a door that is always open Every failure is an opportunity to find grace there is no permanence, perfection, or wasted effort everything is as it should be, everything is as it should be