life: acoustic & amplified

poetry, quotes & thoughts about life

Archive for the month “July, 2015”

19 Jul 2015

mediocrity…never…the battle is on!   

 

 Feeling empty and unstrung
I wake from my dream 

warnings of being unwilling to change

of being stuck in one place

unwilling to do things different

I sit at my desk 

afraid 

because this dream was not about you

it was about me

and it scares the hell outta me

that it is what I will allow. 
I know 

the tractor beam of mediocrity is on –

will my shields hold?

Will I stay out of the pig pen, 

or just give up and wallow in the stinky mud?

The comfortable parking space calls me..
All this,

and the glaring monotony,

the forced prison,

of my day 

stares at me. 

how will I break this day open?

how will I know I have 

reached beyond my need for security?

how will I battle my own resistance?

how will I stay focused on my own need,

and not distract myself with yours?

I open poems by Mary Oliver

The Moths is all it takes!

I feel the door of freedom swing open wide. 

I write

I post

I say ‘thank you’

for these, and all the other words. 

Within the hour I get a comment from Oriah, whose poem,

 The Invitation, 

was a life changer

and I know life

has answered my need to know

that I am connected to the whole

I feast 

on bacon 

with a side of strawberries n cream & passion fruit Godiva truffles

knowing there is always 

more goodness

than I could ever eat up

my cup is overfull and sticky 

from all that honey 

from all those 

beauti-ous bees. 

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

AL (Oct 2013)

   
  

Listen to Willie Nelson sing This Face http://youtu.be/_79LW9_OIUA 
😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

Find photo sources at www.pinterest.com/al513

The mind must

set itself up

wherever it goes

and it would be

most convenient

to impose its

old rooms—just

tack them up

like an interior

tent. Oh but

the new holes 

aren’t where 

the windows

went. 

🏡🏠🏠🏡🏠🏡🏠🏡

New Rooms by Kay Ryan

Posted in action, attitude, awareness, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, beloved, Change, Choice, commitment, community, connection, courage, determination, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, Gratitude, Letting Go, Life, Love, Passion, Poetry, Reflection, soul and spirit, strength, truth, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment
18 Jul 2015

water ditty’s

 

 Sit and be still
until in the time

of no rain you hear

beneath the dry wind’s

commotion in the trees

the sound of flowing

water among the rocks,

a stream unheard before,

and you are where

breathing is prayer.

VI: Sabbaths 2001 [Sit and be still] by Wendell Berry

  

There is only one way, aging beauties,

to go down this river,

to hear the water’s music over the rocks,

to find a loving I, Thou, Who.

I say, spring out of the boat,

jump in naked, tender,

with your ferocious heart torn open.

💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💦

Hear the Water’s Music by Tere Sievers

 

 Listen to Keb Mo sing I’ll Be Your Water http://youtu.be/jTvsHvd0Mkk

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17 Jul 2015

beautiful places 

 

 Gods in the cloud and fairies in the mist
The hills in Guilin look like. 
Deep as feelings and sweet as dreams

The Lijiang River ever runs. 

Song of Guilin Landscape by He Jingzin

  
 

Listen to Christina Perri sing A Thousand Years http://youtu.be/q9ayN39xmsI 
🌏🌎🌏🌎

I am thinking about burning

About letting a passion for life-

Not my life or your life- but Life itself

Burn away my hesitation to taste this breath

Filled with the sweet greening of summer

This breath, laden with longing and confusion.
I am thinking about burning

About the flame of desire

That insists that how I move through this day

Be more about love-making

Than about the achievement of things

Too thin to nourish my soul.
I am thinking about burning.

I am lighting a match.

I am making of myself

Kindling for the fires

Of living awake to this moment

Of letting Love have its way with me.
~Oriah House (c) 2015 “The Burning” 

Posted in Adventure, awareness, beauty, connection, inspiration, Miracles, mystery | Leave a comment
16 Jul 2015

days of… 

  
Days of wine and focus

of hanging on

of staying strong

of keeping faith

of sitting still

of being silent

of thinking in beautiful 

of standing in my own shoes

of letting go 

of loving you through the distance

of letting you lead

of feeling the passion

of attempting not to burn up

of recognizing the spectacular

of allowing the mystery

of hearing the call

of accepting what is

of not crossing borders or boundaries

of opening and opening

of trusting the journey

of seeing the face of God

of surrender into something bigger than I can know

of making the daily commitment

of acknowledging the grace

of thanking for everything

of looking for the miracles

of talking to trees

of taking time to prepare

of expressing my love

of helping in time of need

of following my own path

of obedience rather than selfishness

of love and love and love

of all things love
AL

  

  Photo sources found at www.pinterest.com/al513

  

Posted in attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, Choice, courage, determination, Dreams, find art at pinterest, Growth, Habits, Life, Love, Passion, Patience, power, Purpose, strength, truth, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment
15 Jul 2015

just a thought

 

 Strange to realize 
on our very worst day of life

someone else is having their very best day 

Every death 

is countered with birth, 

Every grieving tear 

with belly laughter

On the night we see the stars fall

the sun is rising on the other side of the world. 

The human spirit cannot be conquered

we rise again,

and again, each time we fall 

Tides come in

tides go out, over and over

With every broken heart

there is an answering new moment of love

For every first kiss 

a final slamming of the door – 

figuratively and/or literally

For every threshold we cross

we must cross another in a new moment

there are always new crossings

We each have moments of glory 

moments of defeat

Worry is always a paper tiger 

stripping our moments of joy

Illusions of control hide behind our eyes

always revealed to be a waste of our precious resources

our time here is too valuable to waste on such things

There is a time for every season

In all, we are to bring praise,

as sacrifice – as gift –

this simple act

the amazing hat-trick to the healing of our wounds 

when, in every single circumstance, 

we stand in the, 

sometimes difficult, 

sometimes brilliant,

beauty, kindness and truth of that very moment

and give thanks. 
AL

 

   

  Listen to George Harrison sing Give Me Love http://youtu.be/s-KAvPbO8JY
🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎🌏

photo sources found at www.pinterest.com/al513

Posted in attitude, awareness, beauty, Beliefs, Choice, compassion, find art at pinterest, Patience, Peace, People, perceptions, truth, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment
14 Jul 2015

a poem a day  

 

All poems are not equal
Just like grades of meat

and paper towels,

there are poems that are tough to chew on, stringy even

then there poems that melt into your mouth and soul, like velvety cream

some poems are flavored to perfection

and lots of poems with no salt

There are sturdy poems which mop up the spills of your heart

and thin poems, flimsy, ones that fall apart when you try to use them

There are poems that move and feel good in your hands

and poems that make your skin crawl when you read them. 

No, all poems are not equal –

sometimes I wonder 

why I like this thing called ‘poetry’ at all. 

At other times I know exactly 

why I have fallen so passionately

in love. 

❤️

AL

Listen to Stephen Burt at TEDx on Why We Need poetry http://www.ted.com/talks/stephen_burt_why_people_need_poetry

   
    
    
Listen to John Denver sing Poems, Prayers and Promises http://youtu.be/M6PEsa36SRY ❤️

photo sources found at www.pinterest.com/al513

   
 

❤️

for you…

 

 

Posted in attitude, awareness, beauty, find art at pinterest, Letting Go, Life, Love, mystery, Poetry, power, soul and spirit, words, Writing, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment
13 Jul 2015

joy…now  

  
What if this is as good as it gets?

What if THIS very day is the best life will be?

What if this is your last chance to sing?

What if this moment is what you are called to?

What if this moment is your purpose?

What can you do to find the joy in this moment?

How can you be happy and satisfied right now?

What are the miracles that are happening for you as you read this?

What joy-filled cloud is hanging in the air above your head,

ready to splash all over you?

What gifts are being offered, 

if you just receive them,

allow them to tumble all around you?

Maybe, just maybe, these questions hold the true secrets of life. 

Maybe, living life in joy-fullness right now –

not waiting for some distant glory dream to come true –

Not holding back till your illusion of happiness materializes.

But, right now, sitting in whatever circumstance you are in,

this very given moment,

you look around and begin

to let go – 

to find the avalanche of joy jewels 

you’re walking on NOW. 

Maybe this is the best, and only, secret… 

DON’T WAIT FOR HAPPY!!! 

It is available now,

and every minute 

of this, 

and every, 

day. 

😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

AL 

 

 It doesn’t make sense to those who can love deeply when others turn away. But not everyone is ready to keep the heart gate open to other humans. Not everyone can handle the vulnerabilities and risk. Some prefer substitute forms of love to the real thing. Perhaps they find it safer to channel their love toward a theoretical God that can never really hurt them, to a pet that will never trigger their memory of human disappointments, to a job that will gratify them economically without touching their hearts. There are so many substitute gratifications on this planet, most of them a covering over of our deep longing to connect with each other. If you are one who is truly ready to love, better to attach to those who can truly meet you there. There is the love-lit world of genuine vulnerability, and there is the love-avoidant world of seeming security. Different worlds altogether… 
😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

– Jeff Brown (~an excerpt from the soon to be published ‘Spiritual Graffiti’)

  

😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

photo sources found at www.pinterest.com/al513

🌳         

I wonder, walking in these woods,

along stone walls so purposefully laid,

what it was like to clear the land,

by hand and oxen, long ago,

and pry the stones out, lift

the smaller ones, and heft them up,

the bigger ones with tools and

chains and wheels, with all

their solid weight pushing down against

you, against your hands, your will,
stone after stone, 

to clear it out. 
How right and good it must have seemed

to see the walls set out, 

the fields enclosed.
How hard and fine, and no less work

to lift away my bitterness, my fear,

and clear an open, gentle space. 

__________________ 

Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Unfolding Light

http://www.unfoldinglight.net

  

  

 
 

Posted in attitude, awareness, Change, Choice, determination, Happiness, Joy, Letting Go, Life, Love, music, Smile, soul and spirit, Trust, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment
12 Jul 2015
1 Comment

holy ground

  
There is grace on ground like this…

we can say that every step we take

of every day we live

Wherever we are is sacred ground

every bush we see burning with holy

every rock singing glory 

every bird testament of abundance

every flower testament to extravagant love

every waterfall 

every rainbow

and moonbow

and drop of the summer rain

shimmers with promise

rocks standing firm in the faith

glittering in sunshine

every person you meet has the same value

the same source

we are all made of stars

held together with mud

breathing the breath of the creator

the matter of the universe

life and death our greatest gifts

the space between can be our heaven 

or the darkest shades of hell

we choose our path with every decision

free will is our constant companion

love, and connection, our greatest needs

choices are most important  

wake up and guard them well
AL

 

  

Listen to Amos Lee sing Keep it Loose, Keep it Tight http://youtu.be/9xt8dVLPLFc 
👤👤👤👤👤👤👤👤👤👤

photo sources found at www.pinterest.com/al513

Posted in attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, Beliefs, beloved, Change, connection, find art at pinterest, Letting Go, light, Peace, People, perceptions, Relationships, Respect, soul and spirit, strength, truth, www.pinterest.com
11 Jul 2015

what will you choose?

 

 Just like everyone alive
Your days will be full of events – 

threads, as it were,

weaving your life into a tapestry 

There will be days of great joy and ones of overwhelming sorrow

Good days 

Bad days

Medium days

Average days

Snow days

Hazy days

day after day after day

until they end

and you move on

All your days you will have circumstances to accept and embrace

or reject and avoid

to stay or leave

to fly or fear

Some to let go 

some to overcome

some to enjoy

some to live through

Life is not about being fair

Life is about winning with the cards you hold

Winning doesn’t mean being rich, famous

or being born with a pedigree

Winning means living up to your own very unique, personal best 

Winning means experiencing and inhabiting 

love, peace and joy 

You’ll be as happy as you decide to be

You will be as healthy as is possible based on what you decide to do

and the genes you were born with

You’ll choose to accept or reject what is offered

You’ll do what you want to do

Go where you want to go

Keep holding on to what is most important to you 

– no matter if it makes you better –

or if it destroys you –

You’ll love who you love

Be who you are 

You will be worth as much as you decide you are

You will judge others based on your own insecurities,

and your unchallenged beliefs

You will have as much love as you allow inside you

You will have as much of God as you seek to find

You will inhabit your life – 

    or not

All this will have nothing to do with your circumstances 

It won’t matter how much money you have,

your gender,

or the color of your skin

It will all be about your choices

Always,

and only, 

about your choices
AL

 

Listen to Misty Edwards sing Soul Cry http://youtu.be/b-IDAqxCZ7I 
😇😈😇😈😇😈

Photo sources found at www.pinterest.com/al513

Posted in action, attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, Change, Choice, determination, find art at pinterest, Gratitude, healing, Life, Passion, People, soul and spirit, strength, truth, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment
10 Jul 2015

letting go…always letting God

 

 
On this day of your life I believe God wants you to know…  
…that tomorrow is the most important day of your life. 
Your greatest moment, your greatest achievement, your

greatest adventure lies in the future, never in the past.

 

There is a new you waiting to be created tomorrow.

That is the joy and wonder of the dawn. That is the

excitement of it!

 

Forget about yesterday! What is the grandest version

of the greatest vision ever you held about

Who You Are going to be tomorrow?

That is the only question that matters.

💞

Neale Donald Walsh

 

 I promised you that I would do it; and I will. However, it will be done in My way and in My timing. My way and My timing are often different than what you expect; but, they are perfect and they are right. My timing is always the best timing, and My way is higher than yours. I have told you that in My word many times.

You know only what you perceive and see, but I know every dimension of everything that is going on in your situation. I know the spiritual forces that are at work against you and what strategies they are taking. I know the things that you cannot anticipate, and they will not catch Me by surprise. My child, I take every one of these factors into consideration when I choose to work on your behalf and to bring My glory to your life.
I want you to know that I am always at work in your circumstances to turn them into My glory. Child, when you are in difficulty, I will make a way for you to escape. It may not be exactly what you expect, but it will be perfect, it will be for your good; and it will be just as I promised in My word.
I am holy. I am loving. I am the truth; and I am also faithful and trustworthy. It’s My desire for you to learn how trustworthy I am, so that you will put the full measure of your trust in Me. Don’t you know how much it blesses Me when you trust completely? So, the answer to your question is yes; I will do it. I will deliver you. However, it will be done in My way and in My time, and it will bring My glory into your life, just as I planned.

  – Chosen One Ministries 

  
Photo sources found at www.pinterest.com/al513

Posted in attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, Blessing, Change, Choice, courage, determination, find art at pinterest, Freedom, healing, Letting Go, Life, Love, Trust, truth, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment

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