“I am in the house of mercy and my heart is a place of prayer.”
― Mawlana Jalal-al-Din Rumi
I pray for
eyes to be open
minds to be freed
peace to surround us
and love to intercede.
for faith to be present
joy to be real
grace to be abundant
and our broken world
to heal…
“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
I don’t pray anymore,
I look up at the skies
and see birds flying,
taking messages to heaven for me…
I lie on the ground
and let the earth absorb all the misery
that lives inside me.
I watch butterflies dance
and I marvel at their perfection,
the way they dart between branches…
I don’t pray anymore
I allow the planets to align me
with their mystical powers,
as the moon throws beams of glorious light on me…
I don’t pray anymore
I remember when once I was innocent
and believed in the miraculous,
watching plants grow,
reminding me that
loving kindness is all I need…
I don’t pray anymore,
I taste flowers and bitter herbs
and let them color me
on the inside.
I stand under trees
and feel rooted to the sacred earth.
I let my body
be baptized
in the warmth of the Indian Ocean
as the tide delivers love letters
in the form of broken shells and patterns on the sands…
I don’t pray anymore
I pick wildflowers
and I let pretty grasses anoint my feet.
I don’t pray anymore,
I allow the eyes of children to read me,
while I rewrite my own story…
I speak to the darkness more often
and watch shadows
become lucid dreams…
And when I’m weary
and the world gets too much for me
I breathe God’s name in and out
without vowels YHWH…
I let the sun light my face with freckles
and bring the sparkle back to my hair,
while the wind caresses my weariness…
And if per-chance you see me kneeling
on the sweet earth,
perhaps unknowingly I am praying.
Is that not the true worship of a believer?
This is a re-worked poem I wrote a year ago inspired by Chelan Harkin’s poem… “Susceptible to Light”…and it’s still true. 🙂
“Grace is the permanent climate of divine kindness;
the perennial infusion of springtime into the winter of bleakness.”
― John O’Donohue, Divine Beauty: The Invisible Embrace
There was a time when we walked with grace
held her in our arms
we knew each nuance of her face.
she sang to us in Psalms…
It was a time of compassion
when joy was everywhere
when we were healers
holding back despair…
There was a time
when gladness
danced,
we held each other tight,
joy was palpable
and love was our birthright…
When fear had not arrived
or moved into our quarters,
before walls were built
before they closed the borders…
The rains of sorrow came
and drowned out
our voices
in avalanches of fear
and loud clanging noises!
let the springtime of grace emerge to rain down loving kindness,
as heavy burdens dissipate
and wash away our blindness…
Don’t forget that I am a dreamer, hoping for a time when we can be normal again.
Or perhaps a new age when there will be no borders between us!
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”
― Reinhold Niebuhr
There was hope on the horizon
real hope,
hope shaped like normality,
but it burst
and all its innards spewed out
in lost dreams…
they say that hope deferred
makes the heart sick,
and it does
it really does,
like an affliction moving over me
a slow creep,
a contamination
and life becomes quite shallow….
So, I collect myself
in splattered rooms
where hope is laid bare
and I pick myself up…
I turn again to gratitude
I keep turning until it sees me
I keep counting every blessing
until I lose count…
surrendering to what I cannot change…
right now all I need is wisdom
and courage!!
because the sky is still blue,
the seas never stop moving
and all around me
is the sound of beautiful hearts beating…
I enter into love
and I always find kindness there!
After the rain
we watched the skies
We praised the earth
We harmonized
And butterflies wafted
into view
We knew the measure
of being renewed…
“God help us to live slowly:
To move simply:
To look softly:
To allow emptiness:
To let the heart create for us.
Amen.”
― Michael Leunig
In glistening meadows
where tall trees grow,
feel the softness
of an awakened glow,
and carve your name
into silvery bark,
where those
before you left their mark,
and in that moment
you’ll understand
your chosen place
in the great expanse,
in gatherings
where mortals
are fully known,
under the skies,
in likened tones…
And even if you get lost
along the way,
and sometimes feel
deeply afraid,
go to the place
where light-beings
assemble,
beneath the boughs
of a holy temple,
allowing the earth
to touch your skin,
as you sense a movement of joy within…
©AllysoAlly2021
I discovered a book called “A Common prayer” ( A cartoonist talks to God)
by an Australian cartoonist, writer, painter, philosopher and poet.
It’s quite beautiful and real!
“What is to give light must endure burning.”
― Victor Frankl
My thoughts are scattered,
with nowhere to land,
I wish my body would understand,
that flights of fancy don’t ground my being,
I’m weighed down by a heavy feeling..
Perhaps Jah will hear my prayers,
and guide me safely through these fears
beaming light from a higher source
and set me gently on another course
that faith may rest on me tonight,
in the tenderness
of lullabies…
That I may awaken from the dread
that lurks relentlessly on my bed..
To bring sweet dreams back into view, and so to banish unutterable blues…
I’ve been feeling out of sorts lately, like the words are stuck in my throat
and won’t go anywhere, just festering in my body.
So many things; the state of the world and present circumstances
have weighed me down..
I think I had hoped by now that the age of Aquarius would have begun
and the world’s suffering would be over…
The Psalmist put his petitions to God, and was honest about his feelings,
I will do the same!
©AllysoAlly2021
“Being human, we struggle constantly to stay with the miracle of what is and not to fall constantly into the black hole of what is not.”― Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening
If prayers
were just breathing
out fragments of hope,
I would send them on the winds
over treacherous slopes…
I’d blow them over mountains, over valleys and plains,
I’d whisper in the silence and free you from pain…
Just incline your ear to the core of your being,
listen to your heartbeat
to the thoughts you believe…
in the still hours of love,
with the resonance of grace,
I will call out your name,
as your bravely exhale,
and shout out your sorrow in connections of light,
surround you with angels who honor your plight…
my tears softly listen to the meaning of your sighs,
to the density of heartbreak
where deep pain resides,
as they fall
softly
and lovingly
onto healing grounds,
let me show you the realm
where joy still abounds…
I can’t uncry the sadness
nor unbreak your heart,
for we live in the current that sets us apart…
©AllysoAlly2021
I was inspired by Chelan Harkin’s poem… “Susceptible to Light” .
I don’t pray anymore,
I look up at the skies
and see birds flying,
taking mind messages
to heaven for me…
I lie on the ground
and let the earth
absorb all my misery.
I watch butterflies dance
and I marvel at their
perfection…
I don’t pray anymore
I allow the planets
to align me
with their mystical powers,
as the moon throws
beams of glory on me…
I don’t pray anymore
I remember
I remember
when I was once innocent
and believed
in the miraculous,
watching plants grow,
reminding me that
love is all I need…
I don’t pray anymore,
I taste flowers
and bitter herbs
and let them color me
on the inside.
I stand under trees
and feel rooted
to sacred earth.
I let my heart
be touched
by the warm
Indian ocean
as it returns love to me
in the form
of broken shells
and patterns on the sands…
I don’t pray anymore
I pick wild flowers
and let ticklish grasses
anoint my feet.
I don’t pray anymore,
I let the eyes of children
read me,
while I rewrite
my own story…
I speak to the darkness
more often
and watch shadows
become lucid dreams…
And when I’m weary
and the world
gets too much for me
I breath God’s name
in and out
without vowels YHWH…
I let the sun light my face
with freckles
and bring the sparkle
back to my hair,
while the wind
caresses my body…
Perhaps this is prayer after all,
the true worship
of a believer…
©AllysoAlly2020
“I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness
the astonishing light of your own being.”
― Hafiz of Shiraz
We are reflections
of inner hope,
testimonies
of faith evoked,
wanderers on this temporal plain
bearers of light within our frame…
dreamers,
dancers,
reaching for joy,
beautiful grievers
crushed by the void…
We are the color of eternity,
brought forth in love for all to see…
sojourners,
and seekers of truth,
narrations of a valiant youth,
growing up as light-filled souls
we are the fragrance of grace extoled…
We gather kindness, fear and woe,
in the presence of love
we overflow…
made from the dust
of a million stars,
divine warriors adorned with scars…
coming from imperishable light,
we will return
to celestial heights..
we are the celebration of sacred life,
the apple of our maker’s eye…
©AllysoAlly2020
Photo courtesy of Rick Frame
AllysoAlly 