from the book What Holds Us, New and Selected Poems
I wrote this poem shortly after 9-11, when I was feeling stunned and unsure of what we are meant to do in our ordinary and yet sacred lives- with such turmoil in the world.
Sometimes the first line is missed in the playing of the slideshow (shoot!) It is: “I hung hope out with the laundry…clothes-pinned tenderly beside a pillow case and two sheets. I could tell she needed air, a sweet puff of wind…”
Take a moment
to follow your breath.
Breathe in Peace,
Breathe out Love.
Breathe in Peace,
Breathe out Love.
Breathe in Love,
Breathe out Peace.
Breathe in Love,
Breathe out Peace.
Allow yourself to be nourished
and awakened by this simple
practice often.
from the book, Good Mother, Welcome
When mist settles thick on the water
as far as the eye can see,
may you hold yourself in generosity, asking
what to you endlessly dream?
When the first star breaks its light
through the darkest evening sky,
what is the wish that flutters
in the temple of your heart?
When rain dances with joy
on the roof above your head,
what do you feel most grateful for,
and for what do you give thanks?