“…pay attention to her, she is singing your song.”

 –Kabir, “Hiding in This Cage”

She stretches her mouth to the sky,

spilling music everywhere.

“Listen,” she hums, before trilling your instructions.

“Listen to everyone and learn.

Trust that you will find everything you need.

Absorb the wisdom you will find in every moment

and greet all experiences as teachers.”

She shifts into a minor key,

with a brooding verse about honoring the shadow,

balancing the light with the deep, scary dark,

“Remember that you need both to be whole.

If you risk cavernous pain you will meet oceanic love.”

“Listen,” she crescendos before beginning the last verse.

“Listen and see and taste and feel, especially feel,

all that this world will give to you

if you will accept it.

The choice is yours,” she hums,

fading into the silence of truth.

It can be so hard

to feel the light.

Days can overwhelm

with their demands

to do, to smile

to produce, to nurture.

Much easier to stay

in the cocoon of a dark room

until night

when you don’t have to see the sun

mocking your despair

making it look so simple

to just shine.

Oh, sister,

I will hold the hope you cannot,

I will see brighter months ahead.

For now, though,

please just feel my heart

wrapping around you.

“…For the sake of a simple poem, you must see many cities, many people and Things, you must understand animals, must feel how birds fly, and know the gesture which small flowers make when they open in the morning…”   

-Rainer Maria Rilke, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge

You must set aside your mind

fling the doors and windows of your heart

as wide as they will open

inviting wonder

expelling doubt.

You must trust

in life

in magic

in something bigger than yourself

in yourself.

You must regard the pen as a holy vessel

capable of carrying the wisdom

of your deepest self

onto the paper

into the world.

You must be gentle, humble, patient,

approaching yourself and the poem

without expectations

without judgment

with reverence.

Clouds unbutton

grey corduroy suits

revealing pink satin

before stripping down

to smooth orange skin

“Full Moon names date back to Native Americans…The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon….Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian Villages.  Thus, the name for January’s full Moon.”

-2012 Farmers’ Almanac

Empty-bellied wolves

circle villages

howling their hunger

begging for blood.

Tonight I tried to stand still in the snow

but my feet kept running farther up the hill

hungry for the full moon.

My spirit howled when the first light

stretched over the mountains.

My body begged to be nourished

by the wholeness yet to be served.

And then it arrived

golden and ripe

against the dark plate.

I swallowed

feeling full

for the first time in days.

I hope the wolves were filled too

with strength to survive the winter

with hope

with delight.

Too much mirth to contain—

and, really, isn’t that the point?

To splatter drops of joy,

watering seeds of laughter

until smiles bloom

everywhere.

listening

to thirsty roots

swallow life

noticing

tender shoots

eager for growth

feeling

primal yearning

toward light

Job Title: Starkeeper

Desired Qualifications: The ideal candidate will possess a fondness for the sky and a commitment to ensuring its proper care.  Candidate will be punctual and capable of adhering to a unique schedule in which, for half the year, shifts begin one minute earlier than they did the previous day, and for the other half of the year, shifts begin one minute later than they did the previous day.  Candidate will have experience operating the Skysweeper 6000 and the Skyseeder 500, and will, ideally, be able to provide mechanical support in the event that they malfunction.  Candidate will be organized and responsible, able to sort and retrieve stars with efficiency and precision.

Duties:The Morning Starkeeper shift begins with checking the Skysweeper 6000 for any functional difficulties. Starkeeper will provide maintenance as needed. Starkeeper will spend the majority of her/his shift vacuuming stars. Once vacuuming is completed, Starkeeper will empty the receptacle on the Skysweeper 6000 onto the floor in the Sorting Room.  Starkeeper will then sort stars and place them in designated bins.  While sorting, Starkeeper will check stars for luminosity and will replace the sparks in any stars which have become dim.

The Evening Starkeeper shift begins with checking the Skyseeder 500 for any functioning difficulties. Starkeeper will provide maintenance as needed.  Starkeeper will then load all bins of stars into the tractor, taking care to arrange them by location for ease of delivery.  Starkeeper will spend the majority of her/his shift seeding stars, and will leave the tractor as needed to manually arrange constellations.  Starkeeper will occasionally be required to sprinkle or hurl stars toward earth.

Opportunities for Advancement: After six (6) months in Starkeeper position in which Candidate displays excellent work habits and skill, he/she will be eligible to apply for Moon Polishing position.

Compensation and Benefits: Starkeeper will be paid $10/hr.  In addition to wages, Starkeeper will be provided premium viewing opportunities for sunrises and sunsets.  Once a month, Starkeeper will be allowed to create a new constellation (limit: 15 stars).

Be still, be small, be silent.

Be big, be life, be grace.

Be still, be still, be still.

Be instinct, be foresight, be gentle.

Be great, be humble, be kind.

Be now, be now, be now.

Be here, be present, be presence.

Be light, be shadow, be movement.

Be free, be free, be free.

Be thoughtful, be mindful, be willing.

Be free, be ready, be wonder.

Be life, be life, be life.

Be spontaneous, be careful, be creative.

Be timeless, be weightless, be strength.

Be light, be light, be light.

Be conscious, be music, be spirit.

Be the change, be the same, be grounded.

Be free, be free, be free.

I will dissolve fear

and open to risk

I will dissolve worry

and open to uncertainty

I will dissolve busy-ness

and open to stillness

I will dissolve striving

and open to peace

I will dissolve mindlessness

and open to mindfulness

I will dissolve judgment

and open to openness

I will dissolve regret

and open to opportunity

I will dissolve regrets from 2011

and open to opportunities of 2012