The Gift

Posted on Dec 3, 2018 in Poetry

I wrote this poem a week ago as a stream of consciousness exercise after some inner journeying which involved listening to poetry read aloud during a sacred women’s circle. It poured out of me after a particularly busy few weeks that had been dominated by my “adult” responsibilities, and I realised in this beautiful breathing space that my inner playful child was feeling woefully neglected. It seemed appropriate for this time of year, too, when we find ourselves thinking about other kinds of presents.

Washerwoman

Posted on Nov 12, 2018 in Poetry

It’s washing day and She’s switched to heavy soil cycle,
Her determined arms pounding out the stains ingrained through centuries of careless wear.
Muddied water churns relentlessly under her garment grip,
The dirt-brown deluge spewing and spating over boulder-strewn banks
While Her low lament lures the keen ear,
Dripping with loss and neglect, sodden with desire.
She bridges the deserted path along which
We’re headed; there is no other route.

What’s in a name?

Posted on Nov 3, 2018 in Spiritual living

People often comment on my name, usually asking where it comes from and wanting to know what it means. It’s become a good ice-breaker and conversation-starter when I meet new people, which is one aspect of its magic perhaps. Because names do possess magic and power, as every wise child will tell you. In many folklore, magical and mystical traditions there is the idea of a “true name” which somehow expresses and encapsulates the nature and being of a thing or person.

A most insidious form of fear

Posted on Oct 25, 2018 in Spiritual living

“A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man’s self-respect and inherent human dignity.” – Aung San Suu Kyi

I’ve been noticing more than ever in recent days how much fear there seems to be circulating at this time, and how closely that fear is bound up in the extent to which we’ve handed over responsibility to external authorities.