An absolutely brilliant and painfully beautiful essay, Kert. I love these last lines from the Stafford poem, as I believe there is a truth in them that concludes your many examples of these anguishing times:
"For it is important that awake people be awake,
or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;
the signals we give — yes or no, or maybe —
should be clear: the darkness around us is deep." ~William Stafford
Thinking people, poets, essayists, gardeners, musicians, dancers, weavers, and artists innately know how to come together and support and encourage; I believe that this fact will contribute to our liberation. Love and passion breathes life into that which we need: courage, thoughtfulness, creativity, service. . . To that end, I see a chance and hold a vision for knitting the wound's closure back together.
May we all demonstrate kindness, beauty and service wherever we go and may we, as artists, continue to support and encourage each other to the kind of work you have produced here.
Sending you love and goodwill, my friend. Write on!
Kert, thank you once again for sharing your insights and introducing me to books, artists, and poetry that help me to navigate the messiness of this life. Which currently often feels like a mosh pit of ugliness.
As a new yoga and meditation teacher, I was also introduced to The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer. It has served as a guiding light on my journey. Before I changed the name of my publication, the previous two versions included the word 'sanctuary' in their titles, as that is what I wanted to create for my readers. While I feel comfortable with the new title, the intention of creating a sanctuary remains. Thanks for reminding me of its importance.
An absolutely brilliant and painfully beautiful essay, Kert. I love these last lines from the Stafford poem, as I believe there is a truth in them that concludes your many examples of these anguishing times:
"For it is important that awake people be awake,
or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;
the signals we give — yes or no, or maybe —
should be clear: the darkness around us is deep." ~William Stafford
Thinking people, poets, essayists, gardeners, musicians, dancers, weavers, and artists innately know how to come together and support and encourage; I believe that this fact will contribute to our liberation. Love and passion breathes life into that which we need: courage, thoughtfulness, creativity, service. . . To that end, I see a chance and hold a vision for knitting the wound's closure back together.
May we all demonstrate kindness, beauty and service wherever we go and may we, as artists, continue to support and encourage each other to the kind of work you have produced here.
Sending you love and goodwill, my friend. Write on!
Kert, thank you once again for sharing your insights and introducing me to books, artists, and poetry that help me to navigate the messiness of this life. Which currently often feels like a mosh pit of ugliness.
As a new yoga and meditation teacher, I was also introduced to The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer. It has served as a guiding light on my journey. Before I changed the name of my publication, the previous two versions included the word 'sanctuary' in their titles, as that is what I wanted to create for my readers. While I feel comfortable with the new title, the intention of creating a sanctuary remains. Thanks for reminding me of its importance.
Sanctuary stations,
places of refuge from harm.
Serve as oases.
Places of refuge,
We are that for each other.
But it’s not easy.
——-
Opening our hearts
Opens our hearts to great harm.
But that’s what’s needed.
——-
They are “them” to us,
But we don’t realize this:
We are “them” to them.
——-
We’re not different,
In all the ways that matter.
We’ve just forgotten.
——-
There’s no us and them;
We are each other’s refuge.
But it’s not easy.