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