Tag Archives: poem

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on April 26, 2021
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , poem, ,   

Music

Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash

The music fills me with such
love and beauty, it’s like free-falling
with all the best intentions, just now,
while the world shepherds a course
of direction, and I feel that deep connection.

I sit and let the music fill me, every nook and
cranny of my soul becomes engulfed in the
sound and feeling of all that’s there. Oh, such
devotion and care.

Care for ourselves is such an important
part of our journey. Sometimes we feel lost,
and unsure, even uncomfortable in our own skin,
even when we are with our kin. It’s not a demerit,
we all feel this way at times, so let your heart inherit.

The joy you feel within, as you take in the piano
paying a melody you swear was written for you, and
you grin.

The smile filling the room with joy and love,
it’s enough to absolve the remainder of the lost
souls, in which you do connect, as you see yourself
in their midst, and have lived through the tests, just
as they are now presently, giving their best.

Best is what we each carry, give out, and try
not to tarry. No, give all that you have, my friend,
and, when it’s time, let the music fill you and
begin the dance again.

#poetry, #beginagain, #contemplation, #emotions, #humanspirit, #introspection, #joy, #life, #love, #music, #nature, #poem, #poems, #resilience

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 pm on April 25, 2021
Tags: apnachatbhavan, bhagavadgita, , , , , , , indiasupermarket, , mahabharata, , , poem, , , , resturants   

A Blogger’s Diary 4/25/21: On Writing and Reflecting, Portland, Reading, and Breathing

I’ve been thinking more this week about how important it is to take time for ourselves. It is interesting, as I know this truth viscerally today, and have written about it several times in the past few months, and yet as life continues to move, I am continually present to the need to stop and breathe. Important.

Alright, more on that in a moment.

Writing and Reflecting

Photo by kevin turcios on Unsplash

First, let’s take a look at a few reflections from the week.

Flush

The poem Flush occurred to me this week after I dropped off my guitar to be worked on at the local music store. I hadn’t realized how much I’ve loved learning to play the guitar until, all at once, it was removed from my presence for a couple of days. 

I actually went to the music store one day, while they were working on my guitar, just to play the guitars on display. I love the feeling that comes with playing the guitar. In fact, I’ve always loved music, which has been a large part of my life, for, well, always. Moving, deeply satisfying, and inspirational. Lovely.

Hug

The Hug poem was inspired by the WDYS #78 prompt from Keep it Alive, by Sadje. As I pondered the picture of a small table, set for two, it reminded me of times as a child and youth at my grandparents house. Being around all of my cousins, and feeling that deep sense of connection and love you get when you are near so much family.


Though I don’t get to see much of my extended family today, I relish these memories. Beautiful.

Next Week

I don’t have much to write about the writing that is coming. That’s fun.

I know there will be more poems, and I do have plans on a post about purpose, yet have not begun to write this piece. All of this unknown is part of the process and joy of creation, which I adore.

Portland

Photo by Sean O. on Unsplash

My oldest son has an internship with Intel in Portland this summer. Yes. Exciting. I went up to visit him yesterday, which was my first time in Portland in over 15 months. It was an amazing experience.

We went to a wonderful local grocery story called the India Supermarket, and ate at an equally lovely restaurant called Apna Chat Bhavan. Delicious. We then played guitars for the afternoon. It was so lovely to see him and spend time with him doing things we love to do, two of which, we’ve been unable to do, or have chosen not to do, for a long time. Lovely.

Reading

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

The remote book club is still alive and well. We just finished The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende. An elegant and descriptively written book about war, violence, oppression, love, family, and life. I highly recommend this book. Just know that the book does contain many violent scenes, which may be disturbing to some readers. The book contained about as much violence as I can handle these days.

I am now reading the Mahabharata, by Kamala Subramaniam, which is part of my continual spiritual and devotional development. I am only about 100 pages into the text, and am already seeing parallels to all of life, which I know will continue.

Breathing

Photo by Le Minh Phuong on Unsplash

Have you ever had someone ask you if you are breathing, or, have you had someone say, don’t forget to breathe? Yep, me too. In fact, I am the one that often says to people, remember to breathe. Yet, more context is needed.

When I say to someone close to me, remember to breathe. These words come along with a historical conversational context about what remembering to breathe really means. 

It means creating time in all of our days to stop. Stop working, cooking, cleaning, erranding, working, etc., and just be. Creating time to focus on our breath and be with ourselves. As I’ve written before, you can accomplish this by taking 5-minutes away from everyone and everything, and just focus on the inhalation and exhalation of your breath. 

And, as thoughts arise, such as I need to do this, and I need to do that, just let that be. And, return to the breath. If you choose to walk during this time, count your steps as you inhale and exhale, which will help keep the mind at bay.

The point?

We all need time to let ourselves be. Away from all of the “needs” that are arising within us.

When we begin to learn that, in fact, those “needs” never really cease, and that we can take actions to slow down the reactivity of the mind to stimuli; by, for example, taking a 5-minute break away from everyone and everything. Using this time to just breathe, we begin to deepen our understanding of how our minds work. Helpful.

Alright, that’s all for this week.

Have a lovely week.

#apnachatbhavan, #bhagavadgita, #blogger, #bloggers-diary, #blogging, #breathing, #contemplation, #diary, #indiasupermarket, #introspection, #mahabharata, #mindfulness, #oregon, #poem, #poems, #portland, #reading, #resturants

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on April 25, 2021
Tags: , , , , , , , poem,   

Needed

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

breathing
emotions rise
and fall, like the ocean,
waves coming and going,
and breaking as
needed

#poetry, #emotions, #hexastich, #humanness, #life, #love, #nature, #poem, #poems

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 pm on April 24, 2021
Tags: , about, bent, , , , , , poem,   

About

Some see a bent tree,
and they think it’s me. Little
do they know,
there imagining me,
just like in a dream.

You see me,
I see you,
we are all a part of this
Universally
accepted thing.

A collection of parts,
one and all, making up
the entire whole.

Next time you’re
out and about,
and you’re wondering
how it’s all carried out,

remember me,

for I’m a living and breathing
reflection
of the very thing,
you’ve been thinking about.

In response to Friday Fun – bent from Aroused, by CalmKate.

#poetry, #about, #bent, #fridayfun, #life, #love, #mirror, #oneness, #poem, #reflection

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 12:00 pm on April 24, 2021
Tags: , , , , , , poem, ,   

Haiku #18

Photo by Joel Naren on Unsplash

water tepid, and
luxurious in color,
as fragrance abounds.

#poetry, #beauty, #haiku, #life, #love, #nature, #poem, #poems, #water

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on April 23, 2021
Tags: , creek, crossing, , , , , poem, , stones,   

Elfje #5

Photo by Popescu Andrei Alexandru on Unsplash

blue
the water
flows so gently
I cross on stones
arrived

#poetry, #creek, #crossing, #elfje, #life, #love, #nature, #poem, #poems, #stones, #stream

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on April 22, 2021
Tags: , , hug, , , poem, ,   

Hug

Image credit; Gabriella Clare Marino@ Unsplash

The table is set,
should I call the rest?

It’s that time again.

Time
to come together, and talk
about the weather, nay
politics, isn’t it rich?

I reminisce.

Times at the table, the sun
shining outside, cascading inside
filtered light, a delight.

Grandparents in the kitchen,
one hovering over a pot,
beans of some kind,
a roast in the oven,
and kids running
back and forth,
such fun.

All didn’t fit at the tiny table,
9 kids in all, with another,
oh, 20 plus or so,
cousins, ourselves,
we did call.

Though we didn’t all fit at the tiny table,
a much larger one
could be found on the patio,
crafted and created by my dear grandfather,
so long ago.

Memories
like this are so rich and full of life,
it’s like I can taste the food,
and feel the conversation,
at times, yes, full of strife;
and, yet love was at the center,
through tons of stormy weather.

Connections like this are rare indeed.

My invitation?

Hug
and love those closest to you,
when you feel the need.

In response to the WDYS #78 prompt from Keep it Alive, by Sadje.

#poetry, #family, #hug, #life, #love, #poem, #poems, #wdys

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on April 20, 2021
Tags: , , flush, guitar, , , , , poem, , radiance, ,   

Flush

Photo by Ronny Sison on Unsplash

I strum the guitar,
just as the dream begins, and close
my eyes, and look within.
The sound coming from this instrument
fills me with a knowing
that feels like the best of times akin.

Back and forth, and forth and back,
strumming,
all the while there’s more coming.
Hands slide up and down the neck,
fingers tired,
yet no one remembers,
because the music
Is simply glorious in all it’s radiance.

The vibration shakes my being,
core holding tight
to this very special delight.
Skin prickles, wakes up,
just as the goose bumps begin to flush.

#poetry, #contemplation, #flush, #guitar, #introspection, #life, #love, #music, #poem, #poems, #radiance, #senses, #vibration

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 am on April 19, 2021
Tags: , , , , gaia, , , , , poem, , , , , , ,   

Presence is Present as a Present: Amber and Jeff (2)

Photo by Jamie Pilgrim on Unsplash

I sit and stare out the window,
as light, refracting,
dances and glints at me,
reminiscent of memories of another
time,
filling my face with light that
glows brightly from within as
the presence
sits upright and holds tight.

Within the temple of my senses,
the mystery I contemplate
awakens me
to the quiet immensity
of the antenna of my satellite.

I watch, listen, and learn, from
within,
the presence fills me with such
delight, and
the awakening keeps my mind clear
insight.

The outer world’s reflection
is alive with sprites,
beings in this garden
of Gaia’s night.

Behold,
the sense of alight
you feel,
as you watch,
the silent observer within,
for the next part of this
rhyme,
we may call life’s present to
sight.

Dreaming imagination,
yet steady observance
within this soul vehicle,
drifting in and out
of shades of consciousness
whilst grounding to the foundations
of the earth’s core vibration.

Within and without, such
a dance of wonder and joy
to conjure and explore. Stay and move
with the vibration that’s there, for it’s the gift
of this life’s stability and core.

Presence is present as a present,
multitudes of every giving galore.

We hope you enjoyed this second collaboration between Amber of DiosRaw and myself. Much fun.

#poetry, #awakening, #consciousness, #contemplation, #gaia, #imagination, #introspection, #light, #memories, #poem, #poems, #presence, #present, #senses, #soul, #stability, #vibration

Unknown's avatar Jeff Flesch 6:00 pm on April 18, 2021
Tags: , , , , , , dhyana, , , , , poem, , , ,   

A Blogger’s Diary 4/18/21: On Writing and Reflecting, 2 New Series, Vaccinations, and Gentle Yoga

Wow, how is it that we are now in mid-April? Phew, not sure, time is moving, well, rather rapidly at the moment. Anyway, the past week was busy for numerous reasons. Yes, lots of work, and writing, and I did get my first vaccination dose last week. 

More on that in a moment.

Let’s first take a look at two writing reflections, and two new series, shall we? Okay, here we go.

Writing and Reflecting

Photo by John-Mark Smith on Unsplash

Sprite

The poem Sprite, was inspired by the WDYS #77 prompt from Keep it Alive, by Sadje. I had a lot of fun with this little poem. Sadje’s prompt reminded me of being at the coast. Many of you know how much I love the beach, or coast, or sea, or shore, or whatever the ocean is called where you live. I grew up near the ocean, and love it much.

As I was reflecting upon the picture, it reminded me about my trip to Yachats a couple of months ago, and an antique store I visited during my trip. The prompt picture looks like something that the little shop would have stocked and sold. From there, it was off and running. One insight after another; and then, the poem was finished. Super fun.

Becoming (2)

The Poem Becoming (2), was inspired by a breakdown I had last Saturday. It was a rather large breakdown, which, as you might surmise I would write, is perfectly okay, even needed and wanted. Why? 

Because it’s part of the process of being a human being. If we hold our emotions inside all the time, and actively resist them, we are resisting life. However, when we are with our emotions as they come, we are going with the flow of life.

I actually wrote the poem in intervals during the breakdown. Writing is, at times, how I process my emotions. It reminds me I am not alone; never, in fact, alone. None of us are. We are all connected. Always have been, always will be. Lovely.

Photo by Julia Joppien on Unsplash

2 New Series

Alright, some of you already know about one of these new series, Community Gardening, the first post of which was published this morning. As I wrote in the first post, it occurred to me this weekend that I’ll have many more updates from the community garden, which is why a new series made perfect sense. 

I am excited to continue to update you as we move deeper into Spring, and then Summer.

One of the things I love to do where I currently live, Corvallis, Oregon, is hike. I love hiking, especially during the Spring and Summer. The weather in this part of the US is gorgeous during Spring and Summer. Love it.


It occurred to me that a series on hiking the Willamette Valley, then, made sense. I will travel throughout the valley this spring and summer and hike, reflect, and learn more about areas in the valley I’ve not yet visited. And, we can hike, reflect, and learn together through my trips. Fun.

I’ve not come up with a title yet. If you have ideas, please let me know. I’ve already completed my first hike, which was lovely, and will create the first entry in this new series in a week or two.

Vaccinations

Yep, I got my first vaccination dose, well, two Fridays ago now. It was actually a super simple process. I am grateful to all of the people working and volunteering to make the vaccine more and more accessible. Thank you.

Gentle Yoga

Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash

Well, as many of you know, I do yoga everyday. Meditation is a step of yoga, which I’ve now practiced for almost 4 years. There are 8 steps in yoga, and while I have been meditating, or practicing Dhyana for years now, I am not as well practiced at body movement with the breath.

Therefore, my life coach and teacher has put me on a very gentle path to increase the movement and blood flow in and to my upper body. It is important that the practice is gentle, as I have two shoulder injuries, which happened some time ago, yet have been exasperated by the pandemic.

Anyway, the point is that I am finding great relief in the practice; and am excited about the movement returning to my shoulders. Awesome.

Alright everyone, that’s all for this entry.

Have a splendid week.

#poetry, #becoming, #bloggers-diary, #blogging, #communitygarden, #corvallis, #dhyana, #diary, #gardening, #hiking, #meditation, #poem, #poems, #sprite, #willamettevalley, #writing