10.28.24. Beauty Before She Swan Dives
“The work of the world is common as mud.”
– Marge Piercy
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We were made to be of use, Marge Piercy writes in her poem, To be of use (read her full poem below). The question moving in me, and maybe in you too, is how to best be of use and real in this world, common as mud, botched and at times seems to be in a crumble? Yet, it too is a sanctuary filled with the awe-sublime, the noise of our tender hearts reverberating in prayer.
Maybe it does not need to be as grandiose as the beauty contestant hopes, closing her speech with ‘world peace’ for all. Maybe it can be simple, common and small; the last red-bold sugar maple leaf, offering her beauty before she swan-dives to the forest floor.
Maybe it can be simply a smile, "I see you" eye-to-heart, embodied kindness. No need for words, thank you to the flight attendant (too old to be on her feet and not yet ready to retire) wearing her pink breast cancer awareness scarf offering you pretzels, a fruit bar or a chocolate bar.
Maybe to be of use
is to follow what is real and true to you.
to receive the tenderness, the bold-red beauty of another's heart,
to turn towards love and self-compassion,
over and over again.
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Below, lovely offerings for your Heart: 2 Poems. 3 Quotes. 1 To-Ponder. 1 Come Join Me! 1 Closing Meditative, Play on Repeat Song.
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Two Poems to Share
To be of use | MARGE PIERCY
The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half-submerged balls.
I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.
I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.
The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.
Prayer | Christian Wiman
For all
the pain
passed down
the genes
or latent
in the very grain
of being;
for the lordless
mornings,
the smear
of spirit
words intuit
and inter;
for all
the nightfall
neverness
inking
into me
even now,
my prayer
is that a mind
blurred
by anxiety
or despair
might find
here
a trace
of peace.
🌿 Beautiful. Powerful. A poet I too am just learning more about, Christian Wiman. Here is a recent interview here, Jan 20, 2024. "The Art of Faith, the Faith of Art" - A Webinar with Christian Wiman speaking about his book Zero at the Bone: Fifty Entries Against Despair
and this older interview here with Bill Moyers. a moving conversation about how finding true love and being diagnosed with a rare and incurable blood cancer reignited his religious passion as well as his creative expression. Poet Christian Wiman on Love, Faith, and Cancer, February, 2012 (27:47 min)
But in truth, just a google search will do, open up worlds of gems to peruse–Christian Wiman
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Three Quotes | Rumi. Martin Luther King, Jr. Jonathan Safran Foer.
“Where there is ruin, there is hope for a treasure” — Jelaluddin Rumi in Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." — Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I think and think and think. I've thought myself out of happiness one million times, but never once into it.” — Jonathan Safran Foer
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Something to Ponder | Human Predicament
It’s hard to know whether to laugh or to cry at the human predicament. Here we are with so much wisdom and tenderness, and—without even knowing it—we cover it over to protect ourselves from insecurity. Although we have the potential to experience the freedom of a butterfly, we mysteriously prefer the small and fearful cocoon of ego.
– Excerpted from: The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön
Who does not know this place of ‘small and fearful’? Exquisite and real, Pema Chödrön wrote a whole book about such places, good to know we are not alone.
A wise-poet teacher friend of mine recently shared “the Universe needs your voice, each of our voices, even in its trembling like a leaf form. That is part of its beauty. Lean into it. The most beautiful music comes in the quaking of breeze against the surface.”
Holy. Holy. Amen. Dripping honey tears.
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Registration Open | One-Day Embodiment Retreat: Awakening Your Yes!
Registration for our One-Day Retreat of Deep Listening & Unearthing Your Inner ‘Yes’
WHEN: Dec 9th, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Healthy Seasonal Lunch included
WHERE: Wilmette Women's Club
930 Greenleaf, Wilmette
WITH: Courtney Riley, Megan Dunne Krouse & Wini Nimrod
Step into your heart of self-discovery and open to your authentic ‘Yes’ that resides within you. Join us for the courageous work of listening and putting voice to your life and soul that is waiting to emerge, that is already known deep within your bones!
Pricing & Learn more here.
email Courtney at CourtneyRileyYoga@gmail.com and let her know you are a YES!
“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.”
– Maya Angelo
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Closing Song | Devi Prayer - Hymn to the Divine Mother
Peaceful. Meditative. Rest Into. Play on Repeat.
The “Devi Prayer” by Craig Pruess and Ananda is a wonderful creation of the mantra of Mother Divine. Chanted in Sanskrit. This version here is 10 min long.
The original version is about 20 minutes in length from the album, "108 Sacred Names of Mother Divine". I have posted both versions for you….gorgeous beyond words. Give a listen
Listen to original version here on YouTube (21:22 min)
Or on Spotify here (21:21 min)
“The Divine Mother is everywhere.
She is in everything.
She is the Divine Essence that lives within all beings.
…
May all be blessed by the blessings of the Divine oneness.”
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I am happy you are here! So grateful you are part of this community. 💖
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🌿 Thank you for being here!
This Metta Newsletter is a Love-offering, it is…
…an offering to bloom more Light ✨
…more Goodness 💞
…more gorgeous tenderness on the planet.🌎
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Until next week…✨ 💖
May you let your softest self Bloom.
