whisper in a crowd…..
I keep showing up,
carving out space and time
to rest my eyes on sky
while the sun shimmers low on the horizon,
suspended like a breath
and then exhales into the night,
keep being wowed by how quickly it happens,
how easy to slip right by
if I do just this one thing first,
like a whisper in a crowd,
I could miss it in the scurry
because life is sweeping past
and if you don’t kneel down and put your hand into the river
you may not recognize.
And I have sometimes drawn back from the living
because I feel so much,
sometimes feel it all too much
and the pain can make me flinch and close up tight inside
for just a while
and as I watch all these ordinary little whiles
fill up with so much I wouldn’t want to miss,
bits I’ve mostly missed my whole life long,
it shakes me awake to the choices I hold
and as each day I walk home
rubbing sunspots from my eyes
I feel stronger in the showing up,
as if all of this light is infusing my choosing
as these days, they quickly go by.
“Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slipping into the future….”
-Steve Miller
So I wrote this last September…..the words didn’t find me this crazy-busy week
(my little gardening business is at it’s busy season peak and I’m tired and smell of ben gay)
But it holds truer still today, this piece, and I wanted to serve it up fresh
with love
because I’d miss you too much if I didn’t come around at all. Big hugs all around.
It’s worth repeating. It holds true for me, too. It’s easy to flinch and pull away from the painful bits, but then you aren’t free to feel the warmth of the light. Peace and hugs and relieved muscles to you, Jennifer!
Thanks, Barbara…..receiving every bit of mojo to my muscles
and the peace and hugs, too:)
Thanks for sharing your beautiful heart over here.
-Jennifer
I love the beauty that is you. And the sharing of the complexities that make you the beauty that you are.
The pain, the fear, the courage and the drive to create. Powerful, wonderful. You.
Your comment was bread and water and sky to me, friend;
thank you for sharing your beauty and warmth,
Jennifer
“I have sometimes drawn back from the living because I feel so much….” You could be describing me. I’m so glad you pulled this out of the archives. When the season comes to its final days, think how happy you’ll be to rest your weary bones and let the earth get its rest too. The land worked and produced, you nurtured it; now we return to the deepening season.
return to the deepening season…..oh how that speaks to me.
thank you for your loving share, Susan:)
-Jennifer
(I’ll post your zines early this week….thanks for your patience)
I constantly ask myself, “how does this woman work such magic with words”, when I read your posts, Jennifer. And they all so obviously come straight from your heart. All these “ordinary little whiles” will seem so much more important to me after reading this beautiful post. Thank you.
I so agree with Judy Hartman’s sharing about you working such magic with your words. Beautiful post Jennifer. xo
thanks for sharing such buoyant encouragement, Suzanne….does my tired heart good:)
-Jennifer
Gosh, Judy, thank you.
Just so much thanks:)
-Jennifer
Jennifer, you are such a wise and observant woman to come up with such remarkable post time after time. I guess, you can’t go wrong when you speak from the depth of your heart to paint a beautiful landscape with wise words.
Always a treasure awaits us…
Have a wonderful week my sweet friend.
Hugs,
JB
Speaking from our hearts…..such a daily challenge, yes?
Your encouragement is rich and I thank you so:)
-Jennifer
Sometimes I feel like Steve Miller’s words…time slipping away from me. And do i waste time…maybe but I am doing my best, doing what I want even if it is numbing sometimes…I am glad to read these words!!
Thanks for the heartshare, Donna.”
I love that we don’t have to be harsh with ourselves.
It’s joy to get to ride the waves as they come.
When there is a lull (and there are lulls)
just puttering about doing nothing
is good for your soul, don’t you think?
love to you in all of it,
Jennifer
I’m SO happy you did repost it…I think it is one of my favorite pieces of yours…I can really relate to your beautiful words!!
So much thanks for those encouraging words, Kathryn!
Love to you and all your furries,
Jennifer
you live amidst so much beauty
thanks Kamana….I do!
I’m grateful to the bone about it, too:)
-Jennifer
I must agree with Judy I’m always in awe of the way you masterfully weave words together so artfully Jennifer.
So much thanks for that warm blessing, Wanda;
your lovely heart always welcome here:)
-Jennifer
AH, such a great re-post. I find such grounding in touching the river, feeling the sun on my face, and showing up in this world. You are an amazing gardener of words.
gardener of words…..gosh I love that:)
THANK you,
Jennifer
You are such an amazing writer! Another beautiful post…even if it is a repeat!!
THANK you, friend!
I always appreciate it when you come by:)
-Jennifer
Thank you, sweet young one, as always…for sharing your light!
You just don’t know how much it means
that you come around, Jane:)
Big grinning thanks,
Jennifer
I just love so much how you tell your truth, sweet child.
THANK you, Susan…..I love that comment!
-Jennifer
Jennifer,
I hope you always “keep showing up”. You have so much beautify to share.
So much depth of beauty in your images and words.
Oh, I know exactly what you mean about sometimes needing to draw back because you love so much. So beautifully stated and illustrated!