I Bow To All

I keep telling strangers that

to be in the presence of those

with whom you can both share

pain and celebrate just waking

is the answer to loneliness.

Such friendship makes the shar-

ing of pizza in a noisy pub and the

standing in silence as the old oak

creaks all one could ask for.

In truth, this process of being

worn to only what is raw and

essential never ends.

It’s as if a great bird lives inside

the stone of our days and since

no sculptor can free it, it has to

wait for the elements to wear us

down until it’s free to fly.

….Mark Nepo

what are we trying to fix? when it’s all going down too deep, may we remember to come back to what we want to leave behind…..to what we know is only love……it’s the only grounding…..the only trail back to the heart…..

When you’re overwhelmed by illness or loss, by the conflicts around you, when you feel you are lost in the darkness, sometimes all you can do is to breathe consciously and gently with your pain and anguish and know that with this simple gesture you are resetting the compass of your heart, no matter your circumstances. By taking that one simple, mindful breath, you will return again to compassion and realize that you are more than your fears and confusions……Jack Kornfield

oh how it all swirls down & down

Nothing else matters but making friends with being alive.

…Don Marek