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
peace
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
The Rain Reminds Me
Waking to the sound of rain a song of rest outside my window sanctuary of subdued sunshine a signal to soften and slow down Dewey refuge from frantic movement rejuvenation released from the sky deflating this bloated baggage of worry replaced with soothing streams of surrender Tender tones of grey and blue wrapping me in sacred stillness permission to let go and listen the soft drumbeat of water on leaves Muffled birdsongs through the mist relentless ethereal cadence of crickets full bodied accompaniment to life's chorus syncopated splashes contributed by clouds Damp doves drying in tree branches the whole world holding it's breath absorbing this gift of liquid life relinquished awe-inspiring cycle of earth's abundance Savoring the simple gifts of nature the last few decades of clean water overcome with sheer gratitude for deep exhales punctuated by raindrops
Open Heart, No Fear
Raincloud of relief the sky opening like my heart to soak in the cool, tranquil feeling of overwhelming gratitude I am exactly where I need to be I don't need to change my surroundings to bloom into my highest self the fertile soil of love surrounds me Utter bliss, staring out past the rolling fields and softly drifting cloud formations of home there is no future to fear, there is only right now and I am so happy and filled with peace and purpose Nothing can strip me of this joy the essence of my soul revealed no longer burdened by the looming pressure to sacrifice what I hold so dear Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for this perfect, though impermanent gift all fear has fled from the recesses of my heart I've made the right decision
Haiku – Self Preservation
Black Raspberry Rain
The warm, thick water at the edge of the river guides me along the texture of the rocky shore the soft rhythm of the waves against my bare legs and feet sand sticks to me as I reemerge through the trees along the road the humid air clings to my lungs in an oppressive cloud of heat storms slowly accumulating above the distant horizon ripe black raspberries beckon from the wild hillside bramble the heat is dissolved by cool droplets as I begin to collect my bounty enjoying my palmful of sweet fruit letting the rain soak my hair and paint dewy beads against my skin the swell of sweet music in my ears I laugh at the sheer delight of being alive overcome by gratitude for all my senses overwhelmed with love for this world savoring the childlike joy of simplicity each present moment can be populated with precious miracles like these may my mind remain still to witness my heart always open, ready to receive