How do you uplift your heart and mind?
Here are shared some of the ways I do that – through taking photos, making up silly songs, and writing poems. I hope these may uplift your heart and mind as well. All are free to download – no attribution necessary.
SONGS
This little song (27 seconds) reminds me that I’m DOING THE BEST I CAN
Ever wonder what to do when you just “can’t get anything done”? This song (1 min. 22 seconds) has the answer: JUST DO THE NEXT THING
POEMS
MEDICINE FOR OUR TIMES (11-21-24)
Some medicine is made from poison
It’s a well known fact.
Even science confirms what shamans and alchemists have always known.
That what destroys life
Can be its remedy.
When taken small enough
When processed with proper care
When respected and not reviled
When understood
More and more
deeply.
It is my prayer today
that the poison of our present moment
Become its medicine.
And it is my vow
To find the right dose
To process in the right way
To respect not disown
To bear the healing crisis
Together with those
Who softly touch me in my ailing
Just as I, in turn, touch them.
Till we come to understand
How these ugly raging poisonous symptoms
Might stimulate healing
In us.
So that the deepest diseases
The most embedded wounds
The most invisible imbalances and disharmonies
Of this precious
inseparable human body
Of my heart-mind
And yours
May heal.
OUR LADY OF THE WOODS
This is her picture.
But I will not tell you the secret place
Where years ago I joyfully left her
In the sheltered hollow of a huge oak tree
Once struck by lightening, “dead”.
There Our Lady dwells.
Her gaze turned upwards
Towards all that heals, loves, helps, and does good works
Her palms together in perpetual prayer.
She is still there.
I visit her at the turn of seasons.
Even now she prays and gazes.
Even now her hollow niche slowly transforms in glorious decay.
In time the sheltering wood will be gone
Leaving her open to rain, sun and wind.
Her painted features will run
Her unglazed clay will dissolve
Back into the earth from which it came.
I invoke Our Lady’s blessings.
Like her, may I bridge paradigms: nature spirits, Christian divine feminine, Buddhist emptiness.
Like her, may I choose to gaze toward profound possibility and pray with good heart to accomplish it.
Like her, may I gracefully know impermanence: at peace with elements dissolving back into the luminous mystery, continuing in whatever forms this lawful chaos demands.
And may all who see her, hear of her, think of her, or come in contact with her in any way, be inspired
To find their path of true peace, freedom, love, and happiness
And follow it unceasingly.
***
INAUGURAL DAY SONG 2017
Arise good hearts
No matter how dark the day
Now is the time
To shine forth.
Hold close good hearts
No matter how fierce the way
Now is the time
To blaze bright.
Fear not good hearts
No matter how deep the pain
Now is the time
To birth light.
We are birthing light
dear fearless hearts
We are blazing light
Close-holding hearts
We are shining light
arisen hearts.
Light begets light
good hearts.
***
PICTURES
Pictures from 75 Places in my 75th Year
