Recognize the Light of Your Soul

May you recognize in your life the presence,

power, and light of your soul.

May you realize that you are never alone,

that your soul in its brightness and belonging

connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe.

May you have respect for your individuality and difference.

May you realize that the shape of your soul is unique,

that you have a special destiny here,

that behind the facade of your life

there is something beautiful and eternal happening.

May you learn to see your self

with the same delight,

pride, and expectation

with which God sees you in every moment.

John O’Donohue

Each time I read something from John O'Donohue, I connect with that essence he writes so eloquently about. He reminds us that in our uniqueness we are shining brightly even when we can't feel it.  How filled with wonder and astonishment I am when I look beyond the facade of my life and see the eternal, beautiful rhythm of the universe connecting us all.

"Such Singing in the Wild Branches"

It was spring

and finally I heard him

among the first leaves -

then I saw him clutching the limb

in an island of shade

with his red-brown feathers

all trim and neat for the new year.

First, I stood still

and thought of nothing.

Then I began to listen.

Then I was filled with gladness -

and that's when it happened,

when I seemed to float,

to be, myself, a wing or a tree -

and I began to understand

what the bird was saying,

and the sands in the glass

stopped

for a pure white moment

while gravity sprinkled upward

like rain, rising,

and in fact

it became difficult to tell just what it was that was singing -

it was the thrush for sure, but it seemed

not a single thrush, but himself, and all his brothers,

and also the trees around them,

as well as the gliding, long-tailed clouds

in the perfectly blue sky - all, all of them

were singing.

And, of course, yes, so it seemed,

so was I.

Such soft and solemn and perfect music doesn't last

for more than a few moments.

It's one of those magical places wise people

like to talk about.

One of the things they say about it, that is true,

is that, once you've been there,

you're there forever.

Listen, everyone has a chance.

Is it spring, is it morning?

Are there trees near you,

and does your own soul need comforting?

Quick, then - open the door and fly on your heavy feet; the song

may already be drifting away.

~ Mary Oliver ~

I vaguely recall writing about this poem on an earlier occasion, but Mary Oliver has a way of opening the heart in a thousands different ways. It is well-worth repeating.

When I visited the Ringling Museum I was fascinated with the banyans trees. There was a grove of them, most of them over 100 years of age. Towering above us, I found myself twirling around as I looked up at the sun shining through their intertwining branches. Like a child I was astonished by the mere presence of these lovely beings.

In some way, they seemed to communicate just as Mary Oliver so beautifully expresses in this poem. For more than a moment I seemed to float in one of those magical places! It's true, once you've been there, you're there forever. I recommend that you fly on your heavy feet and find an enchanting tree ~ there's nothing quite like it for comforting the soul.

Sparkling Starfishes

On the tidal mud, just before sunset,
dozens of starfishes were creeping.
It was as though the mud were a sky
and enormous, imperfect stars
moved across it as slowly as the
actual stars cross heaven.

All at once they stopped, and,
as if they had simply increased their
receptivity to gravity, they sank down
into the mud, faded down into it and lay still,
and by the time pink of sunset broke across
them they were as invisible
as the true stars at daybreak.
                                       ~Galway Kinnell


One of the best things about being near the beach is the astounding connection to being alive. The sand grounds you into the earth as the water brings fluidity to mind, the breeze offers the elements of air and space as the Sun brings the glow of fire.

In Yoga, there's a pose called Starfish where you open the arms, set the feet wide apart, and feel the heart open. Energy flows through the cells of the body sparkling like starfish. Standing on the beach in starfish, you shine like a star!

Easter Morning...

Easter Morning in Wales

A garden inside me, unknown, secret,
neglected for years,
the layers of its soil deep and thick.
Trees in the corners with branching arms
and the tangled briars like broken nets.

Sunrise through the misted orchard,
morning sun turns silver on the pointed twigs.
I have woken from the sleep of ages and I am not sure
if I am really seeing, or dreaming,
or simply astonished
walking towards sunrise
to have stumbled into the garden
where the stone was rolled from the tomb of longing.

— David Whyte

To hear David Whyte recite his poetry is a gift beyond words. This particular poem opens my heart deeper with each reading. How long has that garden inside been negected? This Easter it feels very much like astonishment and wonder and awe to be walking toward sunrise having stumbled into that garden. The tomb of my longing has opened and it is with great anticipation that the rebirth begins.