A Shadow, and A Prayer

Tangled weeds thread hope
and despair
through the nub of desire

a sensuous screenplay
evoking memories of you

softened by time
by the wind
and by the telepathy
between two souls destined to begin
again

one moment
mirrors the next
as time becomes irrelevant โ€”
existing

are two
made of one
a shadow, and a prayer

calling down the hopes of another sun


Image aalmeidah, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: sensuous, screenplay, nub. Follow me on Twitter here, and Instagram here.


Updates

It was great to drop in on a few of your sites recently and read your amazing poetry and other creative works.

This past year, Iโ€™ve been super busy, both personally and professionally.

Personally, Iโ€™ve taken to traveling and am actually currently typing this blog post in London while my life partner reads upstairs in the hotel we are staying in. Itโ€™s been a wild year, full of love, light, and discomfort too, as Iโ€™ve been asked to grow more and to grow in new ways, yet all of it has been amazing.

Professionally, I and the newly expanded team are doing well. We are currently creating the next academic yearโ€™s work, which requires a lot of strategic thinking and planning.

Though Iโ€™ve not been writing much at all, I am planning to begin to write more each week and to also visit the blogosphere as my schedule allows.

I hope you have all been well.

I am sending you all of my love and blessings.

Jeff


Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon best-selling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month



#poetry, #beginagain, #despair, #hope, #illusion, #life, #memory, #nature, #prayer, #reality, #shadow, #souls, #sun, #time

Way-station

There is truth in the wind โ€”
recognizing
the pain, and the uncomfortableness of a past
faint, and dim
yet lit brighter than any star
within

an atrocity of revelations โ€“
understanding
this life

a way-station
and non-dual exercise
playing out in a duality of heart
and mind


Image by Prawnyย 

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: truth, atrocity, faint, star. Follow me on Twitter here, and Instagram here.


Whatโ€™s new with me

I am doing well, and having a grand time with my new work role, and community responsibilities. Though this is true, I miss all of you and love when I have the time to come by your sites to read you and to see you.

Lately, in addition to my new work role and community responsibilities, Iโ€™ve sent out poetry to some new publications. Though I have no new pubs yet, there will be in the future, and I will update all of you as that occurs.

Lastly, here are a few pics from a recent hike. Itโ€™s so beautiful this time of year.

Sending you all of my love.

Jeff


Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press


#poetry, #authenticity, #comfort, #dual, #life, #love, #nature, #nodual, #pain, #poem, #reality, #realization, #relvelation, #transformation, #truth, #waystation

Dust of the Unknown

You speak to me in tongues
a chronicler of the past
and of a future yet to be known
regarded with trust
and with the dust of the unknown โ€”
a kindred happenstance
wandering through the calm
and through the chaos of so many fenced-in streets
alone


Image by SLineArts, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: crowd, bittersweet, prize. Follow me on Twitter here, and Instagram here.


Whatโ€™s New With Me

I am taking on more responsibilities at work and in the community, (super fun service opportunities like serving on a Board of Directors for a local foundation and serving on a search committee for a new Chamber CEO) which simply means that my blogging time is going to again be reduced. Iโ€™ve no idea how often Iโ€™ll be on WP and the social media sites, though it feels like every other or third week seems most likely.

I will visit all of you as often as possible. Know that no matter how often I visit you are always in my head and my heart.

Alright, here are some pics of Justin who graduated Magna Cum Laude this weekend with a Bachelorโ€™s degree in Computer Engineering from the College of Engineering at Oregon State University; he already has his first job at Dimler, an amazing company, which makes diesel trucks and Mercedes Benz.

Also located among these pics is a picture of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow on the shelves of the local bookstore. I appreciate them for carrying it and appreciate everyone who has purchased it.

I will see you all as soon as I am able and am sending you, as always, my love and blessings.


Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press

#calm, #chaos, #consciousness, #illusion, #known, #life, #love, #nature, #naturespeaks, #reality, #realization, #self-awareness, #truth, #universe, #unknown

Sonorous Sky

I read, and write
about the source
and about the legacy of you closeโ€”
dappled light

is hard to find
yet, picturesque moments continue to bespeak the wind
and all youโ€™ve given

to me, and to the trees
a sonorous sound twinkling in the sky
reminding me it is always you
upon which I will rely


Image by ELG21, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: sumptuous. Follow me on Twitter here, and Instagram here.


MasticadoresIndia/USA Publications

I am always honored to have my poetry at MasticadoresIndia and 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.

Here are my two newest pieces.

I would be honored if you would read them when you have a moment, thank you!


Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press


#poetry, #awareness, #care, #compassion, #connection, #dappled-light, #legacy, #magic, #masticadoresindia-masticadoresusa, #nature, #new-publications, #poem, #present-moment, #reality, #realization, #sky, #trees

Your Shadow and Mine

Iโ€™ve hiked
up and over mountains of love
and of pain

wandering
through fields of metaphors
and valleys of symbolism

exploring within
while watching
minimal expectations
arise again

a balance
of body and mind

and of the love manifesting
in between
your shadow and mine


ยฉJeffFlesch.com
Image by MenielDM, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: hike, explore, minimal, balance. Follow me on Twitter here, and on Instagram here.


I wrote two poems with the word prompts from Twitter this week. Here is the second one.

Shadowโ€™s Sown

I explore the depths
of the wind
and the space that lives in between
this moment and the next

a balance of learning
and of unlearning
arises again

when
minimal expectations
are drawn together
like a bow

representing
the shadow of words
left behind to sow


We are at that time of year in the Pacific Northwest when the hiking trails begin to dry out, and hiking becomes something that I will take part in each week. For those of you whoโ€™ve followed me for years, you know how much I love to be out in the forest and at the coast, two of my favorite places, regardless of where I am living and or visiting.

Here are some pics from my first short hike of the season.


For those of you celebrating Easter, Happy Easter, for those celebrating Ramadan, Ramadan Mubarak, and for all of you, may your day, and week be peaceful, and full of love.


Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press


#poetry, #balance, #beauty, #expectations, #healing, #known, #life, #love, #metaphors, #nature, #pain, #poem, #reality, #realization, #shadow-self, #sorrow, #symbols, #truth, #unknown

hope grows

I cry
and sometimes the reason
why

eludes me
though

the significance
permeates each cell of the body
and mind

creating a touchstone
of love

and of hope
carrying seeds destined
to take root

and grow


Image by cocoparisienne, Pixabay


Last week, I went to visit my mom and sisters in Los Angeles, and had a wonderful time. It was so good to spend quality time with my mom, and to see my sisters and their beautiful families. We also went up to Camarillo and visited my niece who is studying at California State Channel Islands. A lovely University in the hills of Camarillo.

While trips are nice, it was also lovely to be home, and to visit all of you today. I missed reading and interacting with all of you last week. Because I chose to forgo posting last weekend, I am posting twice this week (tonight, and tomorrow morning, as usual).

Below are some pics from the trip.

Wishing you all a wonderful Saturday, Sunday.



Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press


#poetry, #family, #feelings, #growth, #hope, #illusion, #life, #los-angeles, #love, #mind-body, #mindset, #pain, #perserverence, #pics, #poem, #reality, #seeds, #transformation

seeding love

I stare
into the essence of nature
transfixed

by webs
of confusion

leaving me disjointed
with feelings
once held in common
and in season

a hibernation
from pain, and from sorrow

seeding
a living legacy of laughter, and of love
in its place

making
the whole word dissipate


Photo by ausbitbank, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt word used: hibernation. Follow me on Twitter here.


MasticadoresIndia/USA Publications

I am always honored to have my poetry in MasticadoresIndia and 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.

Here are my two newest pieces.

I would be honored if you would read them when you have a moment, thank you!


Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press


#poetry, #clarity, #confusion, #cosmos, #essence, #illusion, #legacy, #life, #love, #masticadoresindia, #masticadoresusa, #nature, #poem, #publications, #reality, #seeding

loveโ€™s muse

I stand on a pedestal of
ice, a cold wind blown from afar and
wide

escaping lips
of tender, and delicate
skin

a shift
in consciousness, and
in a history

dosed
with fields of understanding
a common feeling

coming home to roost
in hearts filled with loveโ€™s muse


Photo by 12019, Pixabay

Twitter #vss365 prompt words used: shift, history, dose. Follow me on Twitter here.


Hidden Dreams, Published at MasticadoresIndia

I am pleased to announce that my poem, Hidden Dreams, is now available at MasticadoresIndia. Thank you to Terveen Gill, and the team at MasticadoresIndia for their continued support, and for publishing this piece.

Hidden Dreams

There are dreams
hidden
within buildings
towering upon hills

and beneath
the surface of the sky

a transparent beautyโ€ฆ

Iโ€™d be honored if you would read the full poem here. Thank you!


Here are two more poetic responses to the Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow: 30 Poems in 30 Days Collaboration.

Loveโ€™s Heights

love is like the tether of
a kite
grasping, and holding tight

the sun
into the heights
it flies

wonderment and awe
fill time, and trepidation does too
arise

a balance of mutually beneficial
allies

riding through the sky


Loveโ€™s Heights was inspired by the poem Loveโ€™s Trial by Dawn Minott.


Final Sigh

I sit in silence
and ponder the sky

the celestial bodies

linger
in the night
and

in my heart
where

I find the divine

ascending toward infinity, I realize
she

makes love possible in every shape and size
and in every eye

awaiting, am I

the faintest breath

and this, the final sigh


Final Sigh was inspired by the poem, Divine Flight by Layla Todd.


Jeff Flesch

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author of Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Jan/Feb 2022 Author of the Month, Spillwords Press


#poetry, #30-poems-in-30-days, #awareness, #confidant, #consciousness, #feelings, #hidden-dreams, #hope, #lonely, #loves-muse, #masticadoresindia, #nature, #naturespeaks, #nurtured, #pain, #perspective, #poem, #poetic-response, #publication, #reality

beautiful afternoon

I search for you
in tears

raining
in the afternoon

a complex
land of emotion, are tides
of becoming, and of unbecoming

something far more than
before

a heart
filled with choice

a powerful feeling
empowermentโ€™s
scope

shining
in the noontime sky

glistening
like so many bells
sounding

itโ€™s their time

to move on
leaving behind

a ghost
of what once was

to learn more about
all that is

this
beautiful afternoon


Photo by MenielDM, Pixabay


I would like to thank Barbara Leonhard, and the team at MasticadoresUSA for publishing my poem, Twilight State. If youโ€™ve not yet read it, you can find it here. Thank you!


A quick update on me; all is well. As I write this, I am currently in Bend, Oregon, at the Oregon Workforce Partnership (OWP) Conference, which has been educational, and fun. Next week, I will travel to Yachats at the Oregon Coast for some rest and rejuvenation. I love to visit the Oregon Coast in the winter, itโ€™s less crowded, and always so beautiful. Iโ€™ll share some pictures with you upon my return.

Wishing you all a gorgeous coming week.

All my love and blessings,

Jeff


Jeff Flesch

Author, #1 Amazon New Release Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Author of the Month, Jan/Feb 2022, Spillwords Pres


#poetry, #awareness, #beautiful-afternoon, #contemplation, #emotion, #empowerment, #growth, #life, #love, #nature, #poem, #reality, #realization, #senses, #truth

gossamer tree

I mourn you
even though your presence is
near

a mist, cycling on this plane
of ice

thin
and brittle, like a heart
cusped

with love incomplete

the world
sings to you out of fear

while you wander aimlessly
coping

with harsh realities

felt
beneath a toadstool of pain, which
blossoms when least
expected

and stings, just
like the gossamer tree


Photo by A_Werdanย , Pixabay


Jeff Flesch

Author, #1 Amazon New Release Nature Speaks of Love and Sorrow

Co-Author, #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women

Author of the Month, Jan/Feb 2022, Spillwords Press



#poetry, #connection, #fear, #gain, #gossamer-tree, #grief, #healing, #heart, #life, #loss, #love, #mourn, #nature, #pain, #poem, #reality