Poetry and Prose by #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow, Co-Author of #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women, and Jan/Feb 2022 Spillwords Press Author of the Month
I am always honored to have my poetry in MasticadoresIndiaand MasticadoresUSA. It is a blessing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Terveen, and Barbara for always supporting my work; and, thank you to each of you for continuing to read, like, and comment on my poems on these two exceptional online magazines.
I am elated, and so very honored to let you all know that I received a nomination this week for the 2022 Author of the Year at Spillwords Press. I am humbled by this wonderful gesture and have written the following poem as a thank you to all of you and to the Spillwords Press editorial team for supporting me, and for making dreams of possibility become reality.
Reorganizing Possibility
Trust in the feelings at dawn conspiring to leave you confused about the nature of pain
and about the love you see in every single drop of rain
falling over the bloody streets reorganizing
the possibility of something great
out of the melancholy, we once tried to escape
This poem speaks to the relationship between pain and possibility; simply, through trying experiences, we emerge as something more, something, in many ways, transformed.
Voting is open through January 31 at Spillwords Press. I would be honored and forever grateful if you would vote. Thank you!
Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: coddle, hurl, script. Follow me on Twitter here.
It occurred to me recently that I’ve not yet shared all of my response poems to the Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: 30 Poems in 30 Days Collaboration. Therefore, over the next several weeks, I will share a couple of them each week, along with the poet that inspired my poetic response.
Here are the first two.
Artless Love
they alight on a leaf tranquil, and made up of a piece of our love
the broken bits sewn back together by the sky
above
restless, and tired I linger in the alcove
where mist displays the toxicity of the pain in my head and
in my heart
drifting with the wind I stop and realize
you are the one that’s always been and will always be
I am elated and honored to share with you that I was voted as the Spillwords Press Author of the Month of January and February!
I am deeply grateful to Dagmara K and the entire team at Spillwords for supporting my work; and deeply grateful to each of you for being here, supporting me, and being such wonderful friends. It is because of each of you that I am here today. You inspire me, and I appreciate each of you very much. Thank you!
rhythm and sound walking along the ground, I stumbled, and fell
happenings like this tout a specific rhythm
and sound, like walking amongst the clouds
what confused me most then, was not knowing —
love is derived from within
took quite a few more stumbles, and tumbles
among the trees, the leaves, and
all of the misery
to notice, the hand was always there, even when on the ground
I am excited to share my poem, ravens flying on wings, which is now available atMasticadoresIndia. A big thank you to Terveen Gill, and the entire team at MasticadoresIndia for publishing this piece, and for their continued support.
ravens flying on wings
the curtains, pulled tight, made of silk, and reminiscent of the night, reminds me of a time, before transgression, and
possessions of body and mind…
I would be honored if you would go hereand read the rest of my poem. Thank you!
I walked through the door once, and into a different land entirely, sky full of blood, torn in two, it was a wonder to feel the loss at the center of the vacuum…
thoughts racing, with a heart rendering love, an afterglow cast, inside my chest breathing fast, and then, in from the gloom
came you, sure-footed, with a love the size of the moon, dispelling the shadows in heart and mind, you did always remind me
of the aliveness living inside of moments won
as great clarity did come, and you and I settled in for an afternoon under the sun…
If you’ve not yet checked out Astha’s Anthology, Utmost Feelings, please check it out when you have a chance, and share as you are able. Thank you!
This past week was, well, like many of the weeks that preceded it, in this year of pandemic. Meaning, my days, for now, look similar from week to week. Work, eat, meditate, write, sleep. Not in that order, or, rather, sometimes, yet not always.
Yet, as you know, there is a trip coming to Los Angeles. Only a couple more weeks, and I’ll board an airplane for the first time in over 15 months. Pretty wild.
Anyway, let’s take a look at some of the writing that occurred this week.
I am enjoying being out in the sun right now, and am looking forward to more sun as we move towards summer. Yes, I love the sun and the heat. As I lived most of my life in LA, where it is sunny, well, almost all of the time, I have a special affinity for sunshine.
Being out on hikes and working in the garden when it is sunny, is especially lovely.
Summer ScheduleÂ
Linn-Benton Community College, Albany, Oregon
As I wrote in last week’s entry, the Summer Schedule is out and registration starts Monday, May 17. Our summer offerings are on the small side, yet, we have plans for a large fall term. Exciting.
The team and I are also now talking about introducing more in-person classes, as possible, this fall. As I’ve written before, I see the next 15 to 18 months as a slow reintroduction to in-person classes, while also continuing to offer remote classes.Â
With the reintroduction of in-person classes, including the team back in the office beginning this summer, will come mixed emotions for, well, everyone, me included. Exciting, yes, and also anxiety producing. Normal.
That, as a team, we are aware of this truth, simply means we can talk through these emotions as they arise and work through them together. Lovely.
Invariably, you have, and will continue to be presented with difficult situations; we all have and will. It’s part of being a human being. I was presented with a couple this past week. Both of these situations are work related, and are, well, navigable. Just like all difficult situations.
When we stay present to what is known, and get clear on what caused the difficult situation to arise in the first place, we make a space to create new possibilities.
In both of the situations I was presented this past week, I, first, listened, then did my research, and learned. Once I was clear on what was happening, I was ready to create.
And, you know what?
From the space of clarity, anything is possible. Both of these situations presented me with challenges, and, at times, felt, well, not so great. Yet, once worked through, I was able to create new ways forward.
When you are presented with difficulties, remember to stay present, listen, learn, and then create.Â
From the space of clarity, we get to then stand in the current reality. And, on a team, or in a family, when we are all clear and understand the current reality, no matter what the reality is, we can all work together to move forward. Beautiful.
This past week, I’ve been reflecting upon the power of silence; and, maybe more importantly how in that absence of sound and other stimuli there lives a very powerful reservoir. One that, as many of you know, I was not in touch with for many years.
In my reflection this past week, I’ve also been pondering how in today’s fast-paced, go, go, go, culture, I do have the United States in mind here, accessing silence is even more important. The paradox? It’s harder to access. Though not for the reason you may be thinking.
It’s harder to access, not because there is less silence available in the US. In fact, accessing silence has nothing to do with spaces and places. The reason that it is harder in the US to access silence is actually rather simple. It’s not valued, nor taught. In fact, one could argue that the opposite is valued.
Fast-paced, loud, go, go, go. Right? These may be horrible generalizations, yet take a look around any metropolitan city in this country, and what do you see? People moving fast, cars driving fast, animals moving fast. Habituation to a lifestyle that proceeds all of us, yet we also help to continue to perpetuate this lifestyle. Interesting.
In this post, I want to create a space to discuss some practices that anyone, no matter where you live, can take up to secure themselves a little silence each day. These practices are common sense. No great mysteries here. Yet, it’s the planning and doing and repeating that matter most in this conversation. (Re)habituation.
​habituation (of somebody/something) (to something) the action or condition of becoming used to something
There we go.
So, what then is (re)habituation? It simply means the process of habituating ourselves to a different set of stimuli, actions or conditions, while letting go of the ones we are currently habituated to. Simple. Yet, when we are habituated to an action or a particular set of conditions, it can be difficult to (re)habituate ourselves to something new.
I’ve written on this topic before, and think, especially right now, it is important for everyone to consider how they can get at least a few moments of silence in their lives each day.
Just a short 4 years ago, I never created silence for myself. In fact, I thought reading and watching television was, in their own way, silent time. And, when you don’t know how to access silence, and, in fact, are quite afraid of it, then watching TV or reading a book can seem like silent time.
Yet, accessing real silence takes practice. And, guess what? Once you’ve created a new habit to access silence, and you’ve done so for some time, you begin to realize that silence is always available. Even when you are busy. A paradox? Yes, and no.
Here are a couple things you can do on a regular basis to begin to access silence.
Stop – when you are super busy. Stop. Stop, and set an alarm on your phone for 2 minutes and just sit there and focus on your breath. The way the air is inhaled into your lungs and the way it is exhaled out. Just 2 minutes. Do that periodically throughout your day. You will find that in just 2 minutes of silence, you can quiet your mind a little, and gain more focus. As you practice this 2-minute silence break, increase it after a couple of weeks to 3 minutes, then 5 minutes. It is amazing how much focus and mental equilibrium can be created out of just a few minutes of real silence.
Walk – calendar yourself for regular walks. You can start with a 5-minute walk. If you’re at work, maybe it’s just around the area you work, inside or out, it matters not. What matters is to focus on your breath as you walk. As you take a step, inhale in, and as you take another step, exhale out. You can even count the steps as you take them. I still do this today without even thinking about it. Habituation.
Listen – when you are super busy, stop what you are doing, and listen to your mind and body. How do they feel? Are you tense? Is your mind super active? If so, stop and breathe for a few minutes, or take a walk, as described above.
Repeat – the most important thing about creating a new habit, or (re)habituating ourselves out of our current habits and into new ones is repetition. Daily is best. Yet, it is also important to set a schedule you can work with and that will feel good. So, if that’s every other day, so be it. Getting started is key, and then continuing as you are able will create more workability for you inside of creating a new habit.
Alright, there are a couple of things you can do to habituate yourself into a new habit, which will help you gain access to silent time everyday. Remember, if you forget, which will happen, or feel you don’t have time so choose not to access silent time one day, it’s okay.
There are no demerits here. It’s about creating more workability by increasing your focus, attention, and mental wellness, something everyone needs, and leaders must have.
I’ve found accessing silence one of the most powerful concepts and practices of my entire life; and, remember, the person writing this post did know how to access even one minute of real silence until about 4 years ago. True.
Yet, when we create the time to be silent, to quiet our minds, to listen to our bodies, and to just be, what we get back is so much more. We get more focus, attention, and mental wellness, and we also get more insights. Insights into our own humanity. A sacred and beautiful experience.
Here are five few ways that silence has impacted my life and leadership.
Mental Flexibility – when we are mentally flexible, we are open and willing to listen and learn.
Calmness – remaining calm under great pressure and stress is key to keeping yourself and your team on track and in alignment.
Clarity – developing clarity means that your communications will be more clear and understandable. Communication is one of the most important functions in leadership, so being clear, concise, and understandable is key.
Patience – the ability to demonstrate patience shows your team that even under extreme pressure, you will remain open and flexible. Demonstrating patience will give your team more confidence in you as a leader.
Deeper Understanding – to lead, you must understand yourself well; and, you must be able to relate to all people, staff, peers, customers, clients, everyone. Developing a deeper understanding of your own humanity, means that you develop a deeper understanding of all humanity, which makes you more relatable, empathetic, and compassionate.
There are many more ways that silence has impacted my life and leadership, yet these are important for all of us, and for leaders they are critical. The ability to be mentally flexible, remain calm, have clarity, demonstrate patience, and create a deeper understanding of yourself are skills that every leader needs.
Remember, then, the next time you feel overwhelmed at work or in life, create silent time for yourself. It can even be 1 minute to start. What matters most is getting started.
It’s about accessing the silence that is always within you; and, watching that grow over time, as you continue to practice the act of creating silent time for yourself.
Develop. Inspire. Transform. 