this moment

I stretch my arms out wide and gaze up-the sky is filled with the promise of rain, thunder and lightning vying for my attention. My Spirit dances within, my eyes shine with a joy separate from any joy man's world could possibly bestow upon me. My joy comes from the freedom of wild things-from mountains that reach the heavens, from breezes soft and the pungent smell of a cleansing rain. My joy comes from the sweet smile of a child as he gazes into my eyes and reminds me what pure love is. My joy comes from letting fall all facades, from that moment when all there is this moment and this moment simply, sweetly, is all there ever was.

memories shared

I remember a story about a village somewhere in Africa. In this village, whenever one of its members went "off track", so to speak, and began to hurt themselves or others, the village would do the craziest thing. They would surround this certain someone and take turns. Each individual member of this village would take a turn sharing a memory about this lost person. If it took all day, then it took all day; everyone had the opportunity to speak up about why this person was so loved, so vital to their village. What if we, in this society, took on such a practice, beginning with our families? How different, how much better would we be as a whole? Instead of tearing each other down for our mistakes, what if we turned our focus to that which is good and precious in each of us? What if? I think we're so busy being angry at each other for our transgressions, we have forgotten that life goes on and we are all dynamic, ever-changing and capable of being better. We are missing out on what is so good inside each and everyone of us.

awakened

i set out to prove everyone wrong
i focused on changing opinions,
on convincing everyone i was worth listening to
i didn't realize that while i was so busy paying attention
to what others thought,
i'd lost track of myself
i stopped growing, my Spirit caught in a place of anger and blame
this dark place threatened to swallow me up
and then...i woke up
you left us and by your leaving, my world was jarred
i woke up

i will never sleep again...