Of whispers, words and wonder…..

what if blog
What if it matters more than we know
when we let go a string of words
and they settle into sky,
taking up fresh planted space as they travel along
wrapped in light.

What if the things we say into air
never stop being there
and the stars dip low to listen
and the wind plays them across strings that only spirit sees,

just our own voices lifted hopeful,
defiant against the dull of discouraged silence;
what if the whole dry of the cracked earth  is hungry for that sound,
the one your yearning bundled into words
makes?

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And what if the sweet spot in our tomorrow
is hidden in the fruit of all that saying,
and gets released by pulling off the peel
with sounds so sharp with hope
that layers of “no” and “can’t” and “won’t” and “not for you”
and “who do you think you are?”
loose their bony fingers and let the fruit open,
making parched places bloom.

What if you don’t have to be smart or strong or able,
that Love looms larger than the chaotic rattle of things
and the dreams of your heart need only to be wild flung and watered
by your own faith whisperings
while Love does what only Love can do
and grows the spoken spaces
into flower and fullness and fruit.

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“Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.”
-E.B. White

I’m so glad you come by to have a read,  from time to time.
I feel like I’m sharing often my rough drafts with you,
tweaking and hovering over them sometimes months later to coax some light through.
I appreciate you being a safe space to share and explore.  If you’re reading this,  you are joy to me:)

32 Comments

  1. Elephant's Child on March 22, 2015 at 3:40 pm

    How I ove your What ifs, your questing heart and your joy in the small things.
    I will happily dance with the daffodils and you any day. Every day.

    • Jennifer Richardson on March 25, 2015 at 7:52 am

      I love having you dance along…..glad and grateful for your company:)
      thanks for coming by and shining,
      Jennifer

  2. CherryPie on March 22, 2015 at 5:06 pm

    So beautiful and uplifting. Thank you 🙂

    • Jennifer Richardson on March 25, 2015 at 7:53 am

      So glad you stopped by to play…..thank you:)
      have a wonderful week of it,
      Jennifer

  3. Julia on March 22, 2015 at 6:31 pm

    Jennifer, there’s always magic in your words. It always leave me wondering how it must feel to be able to put your thoughts on paper for others to enjoy.

    Happy Spring where you are.
    Hugs
    JB

    • Jennifer Richardson on March 25, 2015 at 7:54 am

      I love reading the thoughts you pour onto paper
      and out into your bloggy spaces, Julia; I know I enjoy
      tagging along with you on your adventures!
      I love how blogging lets us do that:)
      thanks for your kind words,
      Jennifer

  4. gotham girl on March 23, 2015 at 9:41 am

    Oh this one just took my breath away! There’s so much in your words…thank you. I really really love this one and it’s probably my favorite of all time! But then I know the next one will just be even better! LOVE!

    • Jennifer Richardson on March 25, 2015 at 7:55 am

      I’m so glad you found something to hold close to heart
      in these words…..I love that about language:)
      And I so appreciate the way your camera speaks such volumes:)
      -Jennifer

  5. susan troccolo on March 23, 2015 at 11:12 am

    I need to read the first two paragraphs of your poem each time I get discouraged about writing. It will help me remember the reasons for doing what we do. Thank you. thank you. Warm hug to you.

    • Jennifer Richardson on March 25, 2015 at 7:57 am

      Glad for anything that helps strike down lying voices of discouragement,
      all those heavy negatives that try to shut our voices down.
      I appreciate how you sing and say:)
      -Jennifer

  6. Kathryn on March 23, 2015 at 5:34 pm

    LOVE this, Jennifer! I have actually been thinking about this a lot, and have decided the way to heal myself is to say positive words and to think positive thoughts. Send them out into the universe! More positivity! Love to you my friend, k

    • Jennifer Richardson on March 25, 2015 at 7:58 am

      I wonder if we could see our words, what they’d look like
      as they leave our mouths and pens……what kind of flight they take.
      I’m thinking about it, too, Kathy.
      Big healing love to you and your voice,
      Jennifer

  7. Barbara on March 23, 2015 at 11:42 pm

    I love the image of our words settling into a space in the sky, too strong for those negative thoughts to pull back down. Thank you!

    • Jennifer Richardson on March 25, 2015 at 7:59 am

      I love thinking about that, too, Barbara;
      I wonder if we’re more powerful than we know
      simply because of the voices we’ve been given.
      Cheers to raising them high,
      Jennifer

  8. Donna on March 24, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    Always a pleasure to be here and read these amazing words…’loose their bony fingers and let the fruit open’ oh how true if we let it happen.

    • Jennifer Richardson on March 25, 2015 at 8:00 am

      Thanks for coming by and chewing on some words I put down;
      it means the world to me, Donna.
      I love what’s happening with your beautiful voice:)
      -Jennifer

  9. Lady Fi on March 26, 2015 at 9:10 am

    Your words, like your photos, are inspiring and uplifting.

    • Jennifer Richardson on April 6, 2015 at 7:43 pm

      Thanks for coming by, Fi……I appreciate the kind words:)
      -Jennifer

  10. Jane on March 27, 2015 at 9:51 am

    Just remembering here and now, Emily Dickinson’s

    A WORD is dead
    When it is said,
    Some say.
    I say it just
    Begins to live 5
    That day.

    Love this!

    • Jennifer Richardson on April 6, 2015 at 7:43 pm

      Thanks, Jane…..I love those words.
      I appreciate the share:)
      -Jennifer

  11. Susan on March 27, 2015 at 10:14 am

    No matter where I find your words,here or the sweet and soul inspiring ones you leave for me at my space, my whole day is instantly made all the better. I feel so blessed in have you in my life.

    • Jennifer Richardson on April 6, 2015 at 7:42 pm

      I’m so glad, Susan; thanks for sharing that with me.
      Makes my heart beat a little stronger, it does:)
      -Jennifer

  12. Kimber Britner on March 27, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    So yummy! I love this big drink “while Love does what only Love can do.”

  13. leslie on March 27, 2015 at 4:49 pm

    you always bring light to this space. thank you for that.

    • Jennifer Richardson on April 6, 2015 at 7:41 pm

      I appreciate that kindness, leslie; thanks for coming by and shining, you:)
      -Jennifer

  14. jeanie on March 28, 2015 at 10:40 am

    One of the songs we sing in church is “Our thoughts are prayers, and we are always praying. Our thoughts are prayers, take charge of what you’re saying.”

    I try to hold those words into my heart all the time, before I speak in frustration or (rarely) anger. As always, you state it so well — I can vision those words going out into the universe.

    • Jennifer Richardson on April 6, 2015 at 7:40 pm

      Thanks for coming by, Jeanie…..much love going out
      into the universe to find you:)
      -Jennifer

  15. Relyn on March 30, 2015 at 1:14 pm

    I adore your new banner. I just had to say that before I read your post and got distracted by the inevitable loveliness of your heart on paper.

    • Jennifer Richardson on April 6, 2015 at 7:39 pm

      thank you! I love watching the seasons change and rolling with them.
      -Jennifer

  16. Relyn on March 30, 2015 at 1:30 pm

    This is perfect friend. What a poem of a post. I want to feature it on my Sunday Monring Poetry right beside Dylan Thomas, Billy Collins, and Shakespeare. That’s how much I love it. I love you, too, friend. You know that, right?

    • Jennifer Richardson on April 6, 2015 at 7:40 pm

      So much thanks, Relyn; your encouragement means so absolutely much to me.
      Thanks for stirring and inspiring in the beautiful way you have,
      Jennifer

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