Saturday, July 30, 2011

Eternal Ecstacy

It is the ecstasy that I miss the most in religion and in children's faces,
But it's difficult for me to come back down after visiting these holy places.
I've never figured out how others simply return to their mundane duties
After being fully immersed in such otherworldly beauty.
Parents often protect their children from this; men protect their women
Because once the soul starts singing, it's hard to bring it down again.

What is it about exuberance that makes it seem sinful to some?
Rather than explore and channel these passions, why do so many want to run?
How can anyone look at the sky and sea and not have their passions swell?
The majesty of our physical world is a heaven in which we presently dwell.
My mate's arms around me bring to mind the caring of The Almighty;
Watching a mother cradle her babe to her breast makes my heart clutch so tightly.

I see a father teaching his young son how to master a task at hand,
And I see the spark of divinity traveling between the boy and the man.
I have a picture of a beloved nephew the first time he tasted
A dessert that his uncle made; his loving efforts weren't wasted.
The child, for that moment, was transported to a higher plain.
I would love to see this look on the face of a young child again.

I remember when my daughter showed her baby daughter a Christmas dress,
And the child was overcome with laughter at the gift of her mother's best.
The young daughter of a friend is now a young physician;
I remember her joy when we'd prepared a special meal for the children.
I had a peaceful feeling of wholeness as my grandson lay on my chest,
Knowing that he needed me to hold him for him to feel safe enough to rest.

My serene granddaughter who looked at me with her amused, yet skeptical eyes,
And loves still to teach me things; this is love realized.
A granddaughter who still loves for me to hold her while we sing.
I feel like I already have had all the joy that heaven can bring.
I long for others who have the time to sit and reminisce,
But it seems that they're too busy chasing the something else they might miss.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Parenting and Potential

What is it with parents who insist,
"They didn't get that from me."
What is it about "we choose with whom we mate"
Don't these carefree parents see?
This isn't the case in rape and incest,
But it certainly is our nation's norm.
All the excuses we make for ourselves
Do our children irreparable harm.

Genetics has shown us conclusively
The strongest animal and plant breeds
Are not formed by accident and
Don't come from propagating non-hybrid seeds.
We may want to begin pointing out
That the weaknesses of one,
No matter who thinks themselves best,
Are balanced in the genetic sum.

Of course, in the animal kingdom,
Most don't mate for life, it seems.
In humans, competition for most importance
Is what hatches the ugliest schemes.
What may be seen as a lacking
Of necessary strength by the one
May be best and strongest of what,
When bonded to another, we'll become.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Sharing Our Souls

A piece of our souls we pass on to each child
That we are allowed to hold and guide for a while.
Do we really honor this great responsibility
By attempting to become the best that we can be?
Or do we pretend, "Do as I say, not as I do."
Is the message on which our children will follow through?

We now salve our consciences with, "I did the best I could."
Acting as if, by saying this, we turn our guilt into good.
Guilt is not to be confused with destructive shame;
Guilt accepts responsibility; shame seeks to place blame.
We must allow our children to question authority;
They will never become truly adult if we fear honesty.

The problem with being a child is that the power is uneven;
How are dependent babies expected to stand toe-to-toe with men?
If we truly felt that our souls existed in these vulnerable creatures,
Wouldn't we stop competing with them, and become their teachers?
I don't believe that my soul will rest until the pain I caused is undone.
If not by me, I hope by the families of my daughter and my son.

Sneering, snarling, calling names, certainly doesn't show
That both involved parties are attempting to grow.
It does take equal commitment to a relationship,
Or when the going gets rough, one party will certainly quit.
We must ask for an atmosphere of mutual respect
This is the piece that so many conversations neglect.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Enough Holy Ground to Go Around

Why don't we want to belong to a non-exclusive club?
Is there something to be gained by leaving others in the mud?
Why couldn't Cain accept Abels' gift to his god
Without feeling that, on his rights, Abel trod?
Is there not enough salvation to go around?
Is there a finite amount of Holy Ground?

I prefer to have a very large and inviting family tent;
This doesn't mean that we allow actions of every bent.
There are things that children should not see
Because their futures, from our baggage, should be free.
Our songs to our children should only include
The things in life, like them, for which we feel gratitude.

I don't think that children should be freely exposed
To the things that we adults, as adults, chose.
I don't have to do the same as my perpetrator.
I am responsible for being my own future's creator.
I will protect my children and their progeny
From my pain from which they should be free.

Some parents are afraid of being left behind
If they allow their children to expand their minds.
I will not inflict my prejudice on another generation;
I will help them learn at each of their life's stations.
And when they are exposed to something they don't understand,
We will explore how it fits with the universal plan.

We are born to be citizens of all of creation,
We can hand down our own fears, or embrace education.
My world is expanded by stories of discoveries
Whether adventures abroad or what a child sees.
My hope is that, as the children grow,
They will come back and share some of what they know.

I am hoping this generation will have less jealousy
And will embrace the knowledge that, for them, is free.
I hope they are learning to set boundaries,
Based on defining what, for each, is their need.
I hope they are learning with only themselves to compete,
And to honor the value of each person they meet.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Eternally In Communion

I love to hear about people's faith,
But please don't continue to tell me
That your experience is universal truth
And mine is, from truth, free.

Since the beginning of recorded time
Humans have had the sense to know
That no person is the Ultimate Authority
In all that we need to know.

Each subsequent generation of our ancestors
Sought valiantly to define
The unique thing in the human spirit
That is the spark of The Sublime.

I will never quite understand
Why we try to prove each other wrong.
The power of accepting without knowing
Is what makes the value of faith strong.

When I look at a cumulus cloud,
The perfect picture that I see
Doesn't negate the validity or beauty
Of what, in your mind's eye, it seems to be.

And if we believe that all sincere humans
Are eventually brought back to The Whole,
Why do we argue that only through one door
Can we each find a home for our souls?

Isn't it true that we're all connected;
One soul's salvation depends on another?
Would I really be fully who I am
If I had different sisters and brothers?

We're all seeking the same thing;
The meaning of life is plain to me:
Full belonging where we count for something,
And are in communion eternally.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Partners in the Process

The building of new families comes at a price;
Parts of our selves, we must sacrifice.
It is a joy that we are now each free to plan
How many children and with which woman or man.

When girls become women, they may choose to gestate;
This comes with the necessity of learning to wait.
They must give over power to someone outside themselves
To protect them while new life, in them, dwells.

Those who are most blessed are kept from harm
In a loving mate's sheltering arms.
But their community also must gather round
To nourish the family as holy ground.

Women must no longer die a little each day
To keep themselves and their children from becoming prey.
There is no more excuse for the martyrdom
That so much of parenting had become.

And if a person has falsely stolen one's soul
We are free to attempt to, once again, become whole.
No longer will the veils that women wore so proud
At the same time become their death shrouds.

We must not accept that women were born to bear pain
While men are born to conquer time and again.
Men make a mistake believing their only worth
Is in fighting for ascendancy on this earth.

If men are partners in pleasure, they must be willing to be
Partners in the process of becoming family.
We are not wolves that need an alpha;
It is time that communities learn to share power.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Savoring Serenity

I don't know if I'm ready to begin again;
I feel there are more messes to be cleaned.
Can we ever right all of our wrongs,
Or pledge to do better with lessons gleaned?

It pains me to watch my loved ones suffer,
Knowing there is nothing I can do to assist.
I must focus on what we share today,
And stop mourning the opportunities we missed.

I have carried generations of sorrow on my back;
So many came to me for compassionate counsel.
Feeling with another is fraught with danger
That the darkness will blacken one's own soul.

I have done much work in the last few years,
Reclaiming the pieces of me I gave away.
I am beginning to feel some serenity again;
My hope is that, this time, it will stay.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Lies About Loneliness

I'm tired of people telling me that I won't be lonesome if I pray;
If God hadn't been lonesome, why would we on this earth play?
If Adam and Eve were made to keep God, and each other, company,
Why should I believe that adults are, from this need, free?

We need people who understand us and want to share our lives;
This is how The Spirit of Wholeness is meant to thrive.
Men and women are afraid to admit to their vulnerability;
It is truly not a good idea without shared responsibility.

In my marriage, the man is the one whose arms are strong,
And he fills me with the strength to sing our joyful song.
In other marriages, it is the man with the tender heart;
Does it really matter who plays which important part?

We have given to each other the keys to our spiritual doors;
I have tried with others, but our society's soil for growth was poor.
It takes absolute commitment to something bigger than oneself
To give our egos over to becoming partners with someone else.

New families, like new trees, must be nurtured until they grow roots,
But the young couples must be freed to find their own unified truths.
The elders may act as wind breaks in the many coming storms,
But to stand too closely and hold too tight will bring the new tree harm.

Even with our best care, some sapling relationships wither and die;
Our hope is that the broken and lonely souls will continue to try
To find one who completes the circle of strength with Holiness an the center.
This can only happen to those who keep their souls open to being entered.

We have lost the ritual dance of courtship that gave couples strong bonds;
It is not enough that two people, for each other, feel fond.
There should be a learning of the resources each one brings;
For a new family to be strong requires many things.

We must all have the moral courage to say to one another
The truth about the strengths and weaknesses of our sisters and brothers.
When we don't seek the blessings of others in our support network,
Why are we surprised when, their community duties, they shirk?

Holy marriage is like the sun emitting life-giving rays;
It is not meant that the energy, only in the marriage, stays.
We are to radiate to others all that Holy Power of shared life.
This, I believe, is the purpose of becoming man and wife.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

You Are Not the Boss of Me!

"A rose by any other name still smells as sweet." William Shakespeare

Why do we continue to kill each other over a name, or a manifestation of Holiness? Is light really the colors of the rainbow, or is it invisible? If I whisper in the ear of one person, can the others in a room truly testify that I said nothing, simply because they didn't hear my words? Children love secrets, and they want to share this form of intimacy with all their most special people. We can all hear Holiness speaking in our ears if we keep quiet long enough, because we are all the most special.

Do you remember what it was like before you went to school and were told that you couldn't draw and color properly? When the words that you spoke didn't have to conform to a certain size and shape on paper? Do you remember when your day dreaming was welcomed by your elders because it gave them a moment's respite from your constant questions? Do you remember when you could see yourself as a hero in your head and nobody could convince you that you were not the most marvelous one in the room?

Why can't we leave each other alone enough to let each person dance in their own internal light? I can draw, even if it's only in my head. I can color, even if I still can't stay in the lines. The face I see when I think of the Spirit of Wholeness changes with my mood and the things I hear, feel, and see. In my heart I am a princess, but that doesn't mean you can't also be a princess, prince, hero, or heroine. Sometimes, we simply have to parallel play in order to get along. And, you are not the boss of me!

Monday, July 18, 2011

The Route Which I Rather

I watch with sadness as people protect their emotions from me;
My passion doesn't mean that, from moral boundaries, I'm free.
I will no longer be held responsible for the temptations of others;
This burden has been carried too long by the generations of our mothers.

We all need celebration because we're all children under our skins.
When we accept that adults must be passionless, depression settles in.
Most children naturally celebrate each moment and every new sensation;
It is our own fear of losing control that puts an end to their elation.

Once something is accepted in our heads, how do we make our hearts go along?
Do we simply accept on faith that we will, one day, sing joyful songs?
Do we have a responsibility to actively seek joy in our lives;
Or is martyrdom of spirit what it takes for our souls to survive?

I have no issue with suffering when one is working toward a goal,
But turning triumph into tragedy seems to make many feel whole.
They wear their pain like purple hearts for everyone to see,
And to inflict their pain on others seems to fill their hearts with glee.

Why do we focus so much time worshiping the sad martyrs,
When we should be rejoicing as Creation's sons and daughters?
All passion can be productive; but we've turned passion into pain and fear.
Being made ashamed to show even love to those we hold most dear.

If you want to know my boundaries, ask what I've learned in my eventful life.
Don't assume that because I laugh, it has been free from strife.
But very few want to hear of the wisdom I have gathered,
So living with less people has become the life route which I rather.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Hurtful Humor

I've hurt another friend's feelings with what comes out of my mouth. I'm sorry, but I'm worn out by making amends for my lifetime of mistakes. I hope she will forgive me and we can move on.

The first rule of humor is to know your audience. The inside jokes that I share with my son make some people itch, but I don't necessarily know who these people are or what offends them until they begin scratching. As a class clown, I sometimes step over the lines into what some think is inappropriate. Most people can't seem to define what they find inappropriate ahead of time, but they know their own boundaries when someone steps on them. As a woman, I'm apparently supposed to already know these things.

A true friend will tell me they are offended and move on to the rest of our relationship. If I value the friend's feelings, I will attempt to change my behavior while with that person. This doesn't become a matter of right and wrong; it is a matter of valuing each other's feelings. It may limit the occasions in which we relate, but it will hopefully not adversely affect the underlying relationship.

I grew up with boy country cousins my age, four brothers, and a Cajun culture on my daddy's side. These were earthy people who used humor to cope with all the scary things in life. I really embraced this coping strategy; it seemed preferable to hiding in my room like my older sister or being angry all they time like my almost twin.

I did have to learn some modicum of decorum when I was raising a sweet, gentle daughter in the Bible belt, but it sweetness never came naturally to me. I looked forward to getting old because old people can get away with almost anything...until their children have them declared incompetent and send them to nursing homes. I was so sure that moving back to my baudy beginnings would provide the atmosphere I needed to truly be my most brazen and baudy self, but it seems the only hope for me is to hang exclusively with men. Most of them seem to be immune to my indiscretions, but even this leaves me in a quandary.

There are still many who believe that a woman can't truly be friends with a man without the threat of a physical relationship. And, at least in the south, there are still people who think that men and women can't have a discussion in the same room. I had so embraced the whole women's lib movement because I thought it would bring down those barriers, but boy was I wrong!

My problem is in finding how to put the genie back in the bottle after five years in the forest with my man who grew up on a farm and went to all-boy boarding schools. Until I get my mind back into motherhood mode, I guess I'd better keep my lips zipped. Either that or the rest of my life I'll be doing penance for the hurt I have placed on other people.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Does God Giggle?

Does God giggle, or is He always "Harrumphing?"
Because if God doesn't tickle or giggle,
I know I wouldn't be happy in heaven.
And what about all this singing stuff
For those who can hardly carry a tune?
Will the little angels without music or song
Fly forever in silent stupors?

Will there be wet kisses and snuggles up in heaven
Or will the saints send the children
To another room to play?
It seems a shame that the glorified bodies
Will never experience hunger or thirst.
Homemade lemonade, sno balls, and
Fresh baked cookies it seems will also be out.

Children seem to be the cherubim already among us;
They sing the songs of joy and hope
So we look forward to another day.
If all our passions are to be pushed down
And quiet is the only way to peace,
Why look forward to a paradise,
Where no one will ever giggle again?

Monday, July 4, 2011

Dependence and Divinity

We are each free and dependent on the actions of others.
We are all sadly mistaken when we choose to believe that we
Are all free do what we want and to be whatever we want to be;

Don't insist that we share our paths to paradise.
The important thing is finding the path to our final destination;
We have all been given separate ways to fulfill the missions of our creation.

I do not think that force is a way to become one.
There are many pretending to follow paths in which they don't believe;
This does not mean that, our own faith directives, they've achieved.

Many know the outside, but don't dig deeply.
I have mistakenly challenged the beliefs of others;
Hence, I've lost relationships with sisters and brothers.

Faith is supposed to bring peaceful acceptance.
I was taught to question authority, rules, and regulations;
This seems to lead to the discord faiths sow in earth's many nations.

I have found one thing to be universally true.
We'll never find peace until we honor the sacred in each bit of creation;
We must faithfully work together to achieve all of creation's salvation.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Fanning the Flames of Friendship

"There is nothing else exactly like the joy of friendship. It is such a blessing to have a person on earth in whom you can confide with confidence. However, that is just a small taste of what it is like to have a relationship with the son of God. Jesus is a friend that 'sticketh closer than a brother'." This is a quote from a follower of this blog who is a man of the cloth and a life-long missionary.

I'm currently recuperating from surgery. It is the friends who surround me with their willing hands, offered with loving hearts that sustain me. They may be praying for me in the silence of their rooms, but they also put their prayers in action when asked for assistance in healing and nourishing my body and those of their fellow friends. They have laid their loving hands on each other and on me with hugs, kind words, gifts of laughter and reminiscences, time simply watching and waiting, and many meals. All of this ministry fans the flames of our friendship, drawing us ever closer to each other.

I believe that we are all siblings in Divinity, and that Jesus is an exemplar for how to be the best family of humanity members we can be. He combined the extreme power of his own Divinity with the rules for right living handed down to him from the many generations of righteous ancestors preceding him. He taught us a new way, not through blood but through our Spirits of Divinity, to connect to our fellow humans. He set this example by being fully human and fully friend to all who asked for his friendship.

Friendship is the food that feeds our souls. The Divine Spirit that Jesus embodied in the flesh is still with us and in us, and is meant to grow as we share it with others. We are all called to be exemplars of The Divine in our earthly forms. Our challenge is to stay open to all others while remaining true to our own spark of The Divine.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Friends Are Family that We Choose

The baggage that we carry from generation to generation
Prohibit us from reaching our Divinely ordained stations.
We sometimes have to seek clean emotional slates
To start anew without our ancestors' mistakes.

Friends are family that we choose;
They may be replacements for family we lose.
Whether through entreaties of our own or of theirs,
Friends answer the lonesome heart's prayers.

So many people want to manipulate
Our emotions to control us or their own fates.
We must be careful to only call friend
Those we can trust with the self within.

What peace resides in an open heart,
Shared with someone who is truly a part
Of our journey toward Eternal Grace
On earth as in our final resting place.