my wild and precious yes…

Dear God,

I heard the shouted “no!”s and flinched inside
where you hold and heal me still
and I think it get it,
this collective wound
that rages against the “you” we’ve painted
with our broken down lives
and it smells like puke, the hurt we do
and chills my spine,
that sound of windows breaking
to let the bad air out.

Cause you don’t smell like that,
you who are breath and sky and sea to me,
and hope and wildflowers and freedom to be
and I’m pretty sure of all beings
the most misunderstood
and judged false by blind pain,

your poetry and parables calculated and pinched
until we see you as the worst
of what we are
….as if we could ever know an artist’s heart
with a scalpel
or dissect a living thing
to poke pure creative genius
until we understand.

I likely know less than I think I do
but I want my life  space to  let you be you
in that same brave way you let us choose to love
or leave you alone.

My soul rests easy
in how secure you seem,
not power-tripping or  punishing or pushy
like the posters we paste
on political walls.

And I’m grateful how you set my heart
to twirling
and spatter flecks and speckles of  honest love
and awe
I throw my life open wide
with welcome,
I want you
~  my  one
wild and precious yes.

“Tell me,  what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?”
-Mary Oliver

33 Comments

  1. Mary on September 8, 2012 at 4:35 pm

    You feed my heart and soul!
    Thank you for that nourishing meal!

    Love to you dear Jen!

  2. Kel on September 8, 2012 at 5:03 pm

    my word for this year is Nourish
    and as Mary said, I always find nourishment here
    thank you for sharing your mystic heart with us
    the world is a better place because of it
    you paint pictures with words
    which have my soul saying yes

  3. Lynn Fisher on September 8, 2012 at 8:11 pm

    I LOVE your awesome new banner…super pretty! Your art, words, and heart, bring me such JOY!!!!

  4. Peggy on September 8, 2012 at 10:32 pm

    This is a new favorite for me. I hate the control freak in me but I know He loves me enough to keep challenging me toward a higher more spacious love toward myself and others. Thank you for blessing me with higher, worthy thoughts.

  5. rachel awes on September 9, 2012 at 5:27 am

    oooh, i love that, about how God smells!
    and love your paint swirls and sweet beings that spring from your dear text.
    sweet friend, i have a yes post coming tomorrow…we are so otter-woven.
    xoxox

  6. Trece Wyman on September 9, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    Thank you. Thank you a thousand times for this, for reminding me once more how very BIG He is.

  7. Barbara on September 9, 2012 at 9:43 pm

    One of my favorite quotes – a wonderful finish to your beautiful, uplifting post!!

  8. missing moments on September 9, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    Love this Mary Oliver quote as well as her other poems. Great photos and words.

  9. Anyes - Far Away in the Sunshine on September 10, 2012 at 7:28 am

    Simply beautiful Jennifer, I love the colours and the words…Thank you 🙂

  10. leslie on September 10, 2012 at 7:47 am

    “I likely know less than I think I do
    but I want my life space to let you be you
    in that same brave way you let us choose to love
    or leave you alone.”

    i feel the same way… that His love gets squashed somewhere in the midst of all the rhetoric. and this space you have created here speaks of His beauty…

  11. Bren on September 10, 2012 at 7:57 am

    I so get this, we often form our image of who and what we think He is based on our circumstances. He is so much more! Love this piece, love your heart and His expressed here so beautifully. And the art/photos brilliantly georgous!

  12. LindyLouMacinItaly on September 10, 2012 at 9:15 am

    What a lovely piece as I have said before you have a great way with words, even the lovely comments you leave on my blog.

  13. Lindsay on September 10, 2012 at 12:56 pm

    Such an expressive poem,
    it feels like you give us a piece of the puzzle
    Sentence by sentence
    And at the end of the post
    We see the result.
    Wonderful 🙂

    (and the artwork of the bird reminds me of my little jackie! :))

  14. Momma's Sunshine on September 10, 2012 at 6:49 pm

    Hey Jennifer!
    I am loving all the beauty on your blog!! Thank you for stopping by my blog!

  15. Kathy on September 10, 2012 at 8:17 pm

    Hi Jennifer! Your colors are so bright and beautiful…and I don’t mean just in your photos.
    Thank you for the precious reminders and faith and joy.
    And thankyou for your kind words of encouragement too! The new school year is going well…

  16. Dolly on September 10, 2012 at 8:40 pm

    Love the Mary O. quote and your artwork and photos…so full of life and color…Nice to meet you, Jennifer 🙂

  17. Dolly on September 10, 2012 at 8:40 pm

    Love the Mary O. quote and your artwork and photos…so full of life and color…Nice to meet you, Jennifer 🙂

  18. Beth on September 10, 2012 at 8:41 pm

    oh dear oh dear oh dear…. those first two stanzas about do me in. Straight home, indeed. Lovely words and form and colors and photos!

  19. Rainfield (雨田) on September 11, 2012 at 9:19 am

    Everything looks so bright over here.

  20. Alecia on September 11, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    Love your beautiful art and your words. I feel like your words captured what I am thinking myself, you just put it so well.
    What a blessing, thank you!

  21. suz on September 11, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    why is GOd so hard for some people?
    humans…humans did that
    Bless your articulate heart
    gushing with understanding and love

  22. kathryn on September 11, 2012 at 6:49 pm

    what a lovely, lovely poem…it’s so reassuring to know there is something greater than ourselves out there!!!

    bright and beautiful art and photos as well!!

  23. S. Etole on September 11, 2012 at 7:26 pm

    Another great WOW! from your heart that blesses so many.

  24. eydie on September 11, 2012 at 8:38 pm

    Oh, I want to live this one wild and precious life
    as my most truest, brave, authentic and colorful self.

    Jennifer, your authenitcity overflows in this space.
    XOXO

  25. Kathy Anne on September 12, 2012 at 7:40 am

    Ahh – your lilting words, Mary Oliver, and beautiful flowers. Soaking it all in with joy. Your friend,
    kathy anne

  26. Susan on September 12, 2012 at 9:41 am

    “Tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

    Hearts to you, dear Jennifer, hearts to you!

  27. Cousin Cathy on September 12, 2012 at 2:23 pm

    Thanks you for the beautiful words that make us think and be thankful for all we do have while we are still on earth to see all the beauty that there is. (((((HUGS))))) and Love to you always!

  28. Sandra L. on September 12, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    Beautiful post and as always, beautiful pictures from a beautiful soul!
    XOXO

  29. Chrissy on September 13, 2012 at 6:06 pm

    Oh my word….what an incredible joy to discover you here tonight….so beautiful. Thank you. XO

  30. Jema on September 14, 2012 at 2:53 pm

    Shining yourself girl! I love how you see God. I hear him speak to me through the clouds and breeze. He is love, nothing less.

  31. jeanie on September 16, 2012 at 10:33 am

    Oh, Jen, with all the views people in this world have of God, I’m shad you share mine — far more eloquently but much the same!

  32. Lynn on September 18, 2012 at 6:41 am

    Good. Very, very good.

  33. Julia Bourque on September 18, 2012 at 5:24 pm

    Ahh Jennifer, soother of soul you are. Now why didn’t I think of that to make a list of all the things that I love and to forget all the the frightening and unsettling negative man made problems of this world. God is in charge and my soul will rejoice, content with my lot.

    Blessings,
    JB

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