Poems for meditators

Last weekend, I finished a significant weekend meditation retreat, and during the celebration afterward, we were all given the opportunity to present something as an offering to the group.  I read a few poems, but my real offering was the promise of a poem to each person in the room in the form of a postcard.  I had a lot of fun doing these in the past, and it allows me to work on another form of daily practice with writing.  I’ll be posting these poems in installments as I finish them.  Here is the first group:

Dear Jonathan,

Opening up the doors,

we free ourselves–

the moments of holding back

become fewer

Arms stretched wide,

we say “thank you” to doubt

and confusion–

We look each other in the eyes

our hearts blossom

and break–

__________________

Dear Mark,

She just found herself

“breaking open like an egg”

yolk exposed–

the tenderness nearly an ache

These cracks free us,

don’t they?  Why do

we resist?

___________________

Dear Bill,

Today, my heart leapt

out at the world–

embracing the beauty in each

breath,        each falling leaf–

the fragility and strength

of it all

leaves me speechless,

heart-full–

_________________

Dear Ned,

In our fragility, we are

most strong–     our tenderness

percolates into each living

cell, softening our shoulders,

our needing to try so hard,

so often–

be tender-strong,

fragile-brave–

________________

More to come in the next few days.

Be well, Cathleen