Being but men, we walked into the trees
Afraid, letting our syllables be soft
For fear of waking the rooks,
For fear of coming
Noiselessly into a world of wings and cries.

If we were children we might climb,
Catch the rooks sleeping, and break no twig,
And, after the soft ascent,
Thrust out our heads above the branches
To wonder at the unfailing stars.

Out of confusion, as the way is,
And the wonder, that man knows,
Out of the chaos would come bliss.

That, then, is loveliness, we said,
Children in wonder watching the stars,
Is the aim and the end.

Being but men, we walked into the trees.

~Dylan Thomas

we don’t like to hear that we have all the answers we need…

inquiry for today~ and this too….

the golden truth

I awakened this morning early again, anxious like many of you over the U.S. election and heartbroken to see how many votes have been counted already in favor of maintaining the status quo. The sea was calling to me, with a clear sky and calm winds, how could I refuse her summons? I knew basking in beauty for a while would be a balm.While I was walking I remembered a dream I had last night. In it John and I are walking through a beautiful, huge apartment right on the sea and we were wondering if we might manage to buy it.

In waking life, we are very happy with our lovely home and have no desire to move, but dreams are, of course, about much more than literal things. They act as symbols. And as I walked I felt this invitation to inhabit a larger internal space, to expand my awareness in new ways. I don’t know yet exactly what that means, but I felt a sense of deep consolation by contemplating the possibilities.Dreams often take a while to yield their magic and it is best if we don’t rush to impose our waking mind logic to them.

My life has changed in significant ways in response to past dreams, so I will sit and wait with an open heart and hope for new insight into how to move forward in such a divided and hurting world. I’ll watch as the sky fills with its orange-gold-pink light and for at least a few moments today I knew Love as the source of everything so deeply I could taste it, could feel it in my bones. I am going to sit with her for a long while today and listen for how to respond even more fully to her call.

~Christine Valters Paintner