“Say My Name…”

A voice whispers nearby, though I cannot see its source

it speaks my name…

And there is love in every syllable

embracing shadow, light and shame…

And suddenly I’m not alone anymore

on this journey I have chosen…

I am not judged, for triumph or failure,

only acknowledged for my wholeness…

And there is peace beyond measurement

in that act of remembrance…

rectification, validation and atonement…

in the silence that once spoke my name.

Out of sight, but never out of mind

just say my name, and I will come…

Love…

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“Transitions…”

There is a place not far from here,

sitting on the edge of town.

It calls to me across the miles,

like a siren or a clarion call…

I cannot resist my curiosity,

a compulsion welling from within,

to seek this place of gathering,

to understand this whim…

So I drag myself out to my car

slip it into gear

and follow the road that leads who knows where

out on the edge of town…

Long before I arrive, I sense the others there,

each led by their own compulsions,

their own urges,

their own reasons to be near…

I feel the giddiness that permeates the space;

the restless energy pervasive,

and persuasive,

pulls me ever closer to that place.

A reckless undertone puts me on guard

that not everyone is true.

Hiding something behind the masks they wear,

uncertain if it’s hope or fear.

Traffic thickens as I approach,

surprised by how many have been “called,”

worried now that it can’t be real

however sure I might have been.

Neon lights blaze from the place

so bright they hurt my eyes.

But illuminating nothing really

in the moonless, starless night.

A storm smell weighs upon my senses,

a pressure of impending rain.

Cold chills race down my spine

chasing away the heat of daze.

A golden glow on the horizon,

a hint of dawn? Or dusk?

Feeling so completely disoriented now,

I can’t tell east from west?

A kind driver in the long line of oncoming cars

allows me to cut in front.

Turning left, I enter

what appears to be a parking lot…

So very many people here now

some headed in, and some out.

A parking space opens up before me,

so I gratefully pull in.

Getting out of my car I realize

how heavy everything is…

The air is dense and hard to breathe,

each step a measure of will.

Feet dragging in the dirt

too gravity bound to even lift.

I should be happy I tell myself

like everyone else is pretending to be.

But all I feel is weakness

and trembling in my knees.

The door looms large in front of me,

a line queues out in front.

A headless snake meandering

in this dusty nowhere lot.

And finally I see the sign

flashing in and out.

Some bulbs lit while others fade,

the name difficult to make out.

I stare thoughtlessly, giving my inner sight free rein,

to decipher and fill in the cryptic code

dancing in the patterns of light…

“Ahhh, I see. I get it now,”

I whisper into the wind…

“Transitions is the name of this place!

I guess that explains it All!”

Unquotable Quotes #30

As you grow older, may you know only the pain of a life well lived and well loved. May every ache bring up cherished memories of time spent doing what you enjoyed, and every tear shed in grief remind you of those who helped create them…

Yule…

‘Twas a dark night in her heart and all the world, with deep shadow touching every living thing.  She sighed as she wandered the familiar forest path, using memory to guide her steps in this place without light…

“Not much hope to be had here,” she said softly, thinking of how lost the world seemed.  “Not even the brightest new sun could enlighten these people, I suspect…”

As she moved slowly through this woodsy shrine, she mourned for all that would be lost this time around… The animals, whose only crime was to co-exist with narcissists…  The trees, whose silent sentience had served countless generations in wisdom, strength and love… The innocence, with which every human child was born, and later forced to sacrifice to gods of greed and hardship…  The knowledge gained by honest hearts, then twisted into unrecognizable form…

“Perhaps it is best in the end, if all of it is gone,” she ventured once again to her audience of One.  “Some things… people… never change.  And the suffering of All must end!”

Eventually her steps carried her to that sacred place where so many had gathered over Time to honor, to celebrate, to grieve, the everyday lives to which they had shackled themselves.  And sure enough, she found a small group gathered now around a brilliant Yule fire, singing songs to ease their fears, keeping company with one another through the long night, vigilant in watching for the birth of the new Sun.  She stood there, at the edge of the wood, unnoticed in her Shadow, witnessing this meeting of Tradition, unsure how she should feel in this Moment…

For it was not fear or grief that touched her heart in this moment of communion…  There was no spite, contempt, or suspicion fueling her reaction…  There was only… calm?  Or peace, maybe (?), as she gazed solemnly at the small community…  She stood there silently a long while, as she tried to puzzle it out…

Eventually there came a time when Silence descended on the gathered group, and only the crackling of the fire could be heard.  She noticed a small head lift up from its mother’s lap, and turn to stare directly at her, standing in the shadows.  Suddenly a single bird called out, signalling the coming Dawn, and all the people stood as One to face the East… except the child, whose eyes remain fixed on the unmoving form at forest’s edge…

More birds spoke up, announcing the coming day, and the humans lifted their voices to join in the joyous song.  The child nodded once at the silent Guardian of the forest, before turning to greet the Sun…

The Doe stood there long enough to see the light crest the horizon, before turning back to the sheltered paths of her home.  But she noticed as she walked along that her steps might be a little lighter than the ones that led her here.  And it occurred to her that perhaps… maybe… not All were lost, after all.

“There is still a small chance that this sun shall enlighten some,” she told herself, repeating what she knew to be an old and tired refrain from countless Yules…  “We shall see…  we shall see… what that child becomes…”

Guest Post by Maria M…

I’ve mentioned my friend Maria before, though maybe not by name.  She is the one who encouraged me to start this blog in the first place.  More like she poked, and needled, and insisted and nagged until I did… lol!  And I’m very grateful she did…

She came to me today with a post she wanted to make on Facebook, expressing her thoughts and opinions about this past week.  We talked.  And having seen so many of my friends attacked for posting such things on their own pages, I was reluctant to encourage her to put it out there; she so rarely expresses herself this way that I didn’t want to see her get trampled for it.  She asked if she could post it here, and I thought it was a great idea!  My own experiences with WordPress so far have shown a community that usually respects and tolerates, even if it disagrees.  I hope that holds true for my guest as well…

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Maria M. says:

I do not often use social media to say anything earth shattering; I try to keep it light and drama free. There isn’t much I have to say about the current events.  I would like for people to keep in mind that America is not a democracy.  As I was reminded yesterday, it is a republic.  We are led to believe that what we, as a people, say matters.  The truth of it is, if it did, many elections throughout the years would have been different.  This means things might have been better or worse.  We will never know.

What I do believe is that we need to not hate on our neighbors, friends or even that random stranger over there.  They tried to do the right thing.  If you have ill will and distaste, please direct it in the right direction.  Your selected government officials are the people who decided we could not make the right choice and made it for us.

Stay strong and support the people you care about.  Don’t let them be mistreated or abused.  No matter what side you are on, human decency needs to be universal.  Stay safe and strong, friends.  This is not the time to run and hide, but to stand up and be accounted for, as someone who believes in hope and love for everyone.

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Thank you, Maria!  🙂