A simple yet profound idea. A friend offered to bring vegetarian black bean soup to me this coming week. It was a bit difficult to accept her generosity and yet I gladly said yes. And now I know what I will share with her--a poem, and a song. And we will send you a picture. Can you see the smile on my face?
I don't have a photo, but I shared two poems aloud on Friday morning with some of my beloved spiritual sisters. Yes, like you, we left our time together with our hearts refreshed. Blessings to you as you make this big move! Here's a line from a poem by Jan Richardson, "What I know is that this blessing will begin as soon as you set out..." 💕💕
Would you like to share a photo of you with one or both of the poems to "stand in" for your spiritual sisters? :) (And thanks for the blessings on our move. Love that line by Jan Richardson! I'm going to look up the rest.)
Sharing this excerpt from today’s Raft with members of a Service Space poetry discussion pod I recently participated in….
“The words of a poem being read aloud at the right moment, with the right spirit, can be comforting. Uplifting. Empowering.
What might matter most in the reading may not be the content of the poem, but rather the simple fact that someone would bother giving voice to it as an expression of care and affection. (A little like how a parent or grandparent might have done, long ago.)
A poem read aloud can matter more than a poem left on the page.
A poem read aloud can make all the difference.
Think now: Who in your life, at this moment, might benefit from hearing a poem read aloud by you?“
Thank you & envisioning a peaceful move ahead for you, Phyllis 🙏❤️
I do love this idea and am confident of the healing power of reading poetry aloud to someone who is struggling. Soon I will begin volunteering with a hospice agency. I hope to carry with me Mary Oliver’s Devotions and some other favorite poems and be allowed to read and lift someone’s spirit. Thank you, Phyllis 💜
Everything has its season. You will thrive everywhere. The Holy Spirit, the evolutionary impulse flows through your heart with the power of everything good, true and beautiful. Thank you for your blessing. Thank you for your important work.
Right now there are so many dark sides to life, these posts help me see the light again and again. Today I will offer poems to everyone, but especially my mother.
I brought your first Poetry of Presence to my mom's little apartment yesterday, but we're still not at the stage that she can listen or engage. She awakes every day to the new reality that her beloved husband is gone (14 years ago) and she's in deep mourning. I am trying to get her some help since this is beyond what I can do....
Oh oh oh . . . I know what you’re describing. My mother went through something similar as she descended into dementia. Eventually she began to believe he was out working in the fields or in the barns, and this was easier for her to bear. Bless your mother. Maybe she will find the story that she needs to tell herself to bear the reality.
I almost wish this was dementia and that it might get worse so that we could get to a different stage. She just cries and cries. We are wondering if this is partially grief over her new situation as well. I'm trying to leave this all with people who know more than I do in dealing with situations like this. We will see....
Gives me shivers of excitement!
A simple yet profound idea. A friend offered to bring vegetarian black bean soup to me this coming week. It was a bit difficult to accept her generosity and yet I gladly said yes. And now I know what I will share with her--a poem, and a song. And we will send you a picture. Can you see the smile on my face?
Yes, I can! Woohoo!
I don't have a photo, but I shared two poems aloud on Friday morning with some of my beloved spiritual sisters. Yes, like you, we left our time together with our hearts refreshed. Blessings to you as you make this big move! Here's a line from a poem by Jan Richardson, "What I know is that this blessing will begin as soon as you set out..." 💕💕
Would you like to share a photo of you with one or both of the poems to "stand in" for your spiritual sisters? :) (And thanks for the blessings on our move. Love that line by Jan Richardson! I'm going to look up the rest.)
Sharing this excerpt from today’s Raft with members of a Service Space poetry discussion pod I recently participated in….
“The words of a poem being read aloud at the right moment, with the right spirit, can be comforting. Uplifting. Empowering.
What might matter most in the reading may not be the content of the poem, but rather the simple fact that someone would bother giving voice to it as an expression of care and affection. (A little like how a parent or grandparent might have done, long ago.)
A poem read aloud can matter more than a poem left on the page.
A poem read aloud can make all the difference.
Think now: Who in your life, at this moment, might benefit from hearing a poem read aloud by you?“
Thank you & envisioning a peaceful move ahead for you, Phyllis 🙏❤️
Thank you, dear heart!
I do love this idea and am confident of the healing power of reading poetry aloud to someone who is struggling. Soon I will begin volunteering with a hospice agency. I hope to carry with me Mary Oliver’s Devotions and some other favorite poems and be allowed to read and lift someone’s spirit. Thank you, Phyllis 💜
Mary Oliver is my very favorite 👍
Oh, bless you, Gayla, as you begin your hospice work! I'm going to lay a blessing stone for you now.
Thank you. 🙏
Thanks - I needed this!
Bless you, Rhoda.
What a beautiful post, thank you, Phyllis. South Dakota will miss you.
I will miss South Dakota, though I'm ready to move on. I want to thrive everywhere. Bless you, Julianne.
Everything has its season. You will thrive everywhere. The Holy Spirit, the evolutionary impulse flows through your heart with the power of everything good, true and beautiful. Thank you for your blessing. Thank you for your important work.
This is a beautiful suggestion. I'm all in.
Woohoo!
Right now there are so many dark sides to life, these posts help me see the light again and again. Today I will offer poems to everyone, but especially my mother.
Bless you both in the reading, the listening, the presencing . . .
I brought your first Poetry of Presence to my mom's little apartment yesterday, but we're still not at the stage that she can listen or engage. She awakes every day to the new reality that her beloved husband is gone (14 years ago) and she's in deep mourning. I am trying to get her some help since this is beyond what I can do....
Oh oh oh . . . I know what you’re describing. My mother went through something similar as she descended into dementia. Eventually she began to believe he was out working in the fields or in the barns, and this was easier for her to bear. Bless your mother. Maybe she will find the story that she needs to tell herself to bear the reality.
I almost wish this was dementia and that it might get worse so that we could get to a different stage. She just cries and cries. We are wondering if this is partially grief over her new situation as well. I'm trying to leave this all with people who know more than I do in dealing with situations like this. We will see....