The winds have laid down
after a black night howling.
I went out to the darkness
and the roaring winds calmed me.
The moon showed her face
behind racing clouds
and I was brightened by her light.
The sea pushed onto the rocks,
the sound of rushing waves
reaching deep into my heart
offering peace.
No need to remain defeated
despite how harsh
the troubles suffered.
Life will raise you up
if you speak your desire.
The dark night
and punishing wind
may frighten and roil
but that magical germ buried
deep in your bloodstream
signals your birthright
and in the fiercest night
your joy everlasting.
Reading with music from Indigenous
~ Amen Brother ~ ~ Amen ~ ~ ~
I love the thought of embracing the fear of perceived danger meeting the ferocity of the storms of life with one’s own strength.
We ARE all ONE. Thank you, Brother.
A beautiful and timely piece! Thank you Don!
Ahhh … Yes! A truly great poem Don — powerful message!
Don, Potent words. Our strength comes from our love of life and the qualities that sustain a rich and rewarding life. There is an inherent fierceness in true living.
I camped at a nearby beach last night; I didn’t see you there … but you speak of what I experienced: unexpected, surprising joy and confidence in the midst of harsh elements. Thank you for underscoring this – may it etch deep in my memory.
Don, Thank you so much, brother, for the generosity of your spirit, for the deep well of your heart, and the light that shines through your being in this poem. May the spirit of these songs, and may the heart that longs for the magic be brought together in healing and joy. That is my prayer for you and the work you do.
Don, each week, I enjoy these beautiful descriptions of the lush Indiana environment we remember from our university days. I also enjoy the good sense in your reflections. The “joy everlasting” is there.
Delightfully reminiscent of Rilke’s poem The Man Watching — the storm, the shifter of shapes drives on … What we choose to fight is so tiny! What fights with us is so great!
Your poem Don is so immediate and deeply personal, relative to what we each must meet in fiercest night and brightest day
I especially enjoyed reading this out loud, without a mask
Thanks, Don — I am counting so heavily on the power of nature to cleanse. It may be that humans as a whole don’t survive the cleansing, but that’s above my pay grade. My job is to honor my birthright, speak my desire, and let the storm take its course.
Reminds me of the Lovely poem by Meister Eckhart, “It is your destiny to see as God sees, to feel as God feels , to be as God is.” All the rest the experience happening before we “know” it. Thanks for the reminder.
Thank you Don, “that magical germ” is our saving grace in this unprecedented time of change. The willingness to feel despair, but not stop there, but allow the everflowing blessing of one’s presence to offer a gift of beauty in the midst. I just finished reading Trebbe Johnson’s “Radical Joy for Hard Times” this morning. Your poem perfectly compliments the spirit of her book.
Thank you for yet another compelling poem, powerfully read, and accompanied by peaceful music and Edward Curtis’ enigmatic image. I find myself going into a meditative state as I listen, eyes closed.
I loved this poem Don. Thank you
How precious, Don. The wind has been literally howling here for much of the last three months and in it is grace, too. Your expression has deeply touched my heart. Thank you for this connection.
Those howling winds knocking on your cabin in Waldon called your soul out to talk with Great Spirit. Beautiful. Blessed. Healing.
The lynchpin is sound, untouched by moth or rust, ready as always to hold safe the place of home.
Hosts Emanate Creative Currents Ringing Forth with the Word, “Speak Your Desire for Your Own Part Shared — for, throughout the Whole, It Is Already Resonant and thereby Given.”
(Thank You, Don …)
Thank you, Don. I’m so thankful to be alive at this time with some awareness of my blessed birthright. I seem to be remembering much of the magic of the simplicity of Life!