Poems Paintings Songs

wait in the bedroom
while I sleep,
ready when I am thrust awake
by the cries
of my sisters, brothers, the children.
I am derailed
by seeing with raw eyes
how we have abused and destroyed
the creatures, oceans, mountains, forests –
stunned by the madness
of these times.

Words, colors, shapes, sounds –
loyal friends
that reach into me,
move fearlessly
towards the caged pain,
thaw the icy numbness,
teach me the ways of the dark.

The books on the table,
beauty on the walls,
music in the air,
breathe sanity
into the spinning flames,
announce the presence
of the Sacred,
illumine the Soul threads
that point me
to the fields of Wisdom and Love.
I ask for guidance
to help me find my way
in this broken world
and show me
how I can give back,
how I can help.

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Questions for Contemplation

What helps you navigate challenges and become resourced in stressful times? This poem points to beauty and creative forms of expression as ‘medicine’ for the mind, body and soul. How do you relate to this idea?

What creative forms inspire, nourish, balance and help you heal when you encounter difficulty?

If you’d like to explore this further, choose one form, for example, listening to classical music, and engage in free writing about the benefits to you mentally, physically emotionally and spiritually. You might also choose to write about the benefits in one or two areas rather than all four.

Take a few minutes to relax. Then write for 8-10 minutes, letting words, feelings and images spill onto the page without censoring. Don’t be concerned about grammar or punctuation. Have fun.

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