Tag Archives: mindfulness
Seventy-four days – Time to write a poem.
This is another found poem of sorts. Please see the attributions.
How important is it?
If I had a song,
My very own song,
An earth song,
I would be dancing on my own,
without a care in the world.
Are you listening?
The magical tune of the river tells us
It is hopeful in a time of confusion.
But wait I still hear some craziness.
I still feel like I am in the dark.
Wait a minute.
or is it an hour, a year or just seventy-four days?
I too am beginning
to see the light.
Photograph by Melba Christie
Attributions:
Man of many thoughts, keithgarrettpoetry
johncoyote
Pat Cagan
Sketchuniverse
Connect Ideas
Silent Waves
Listen to the silent waves
They bring sweet compassion from afar
This may sound strange to some
but when you listen mindfully
the sound of silent waves
liberates and exhilarates the soul
It helps us cultivate Gratitude and Joy
Listen to the silent waves
and calm will overwhelm you
because God is trying to get our attention right now
Listen to the silent waves
Listen to the silent waves
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On Breathing
Take a deep breath with me
Visualize a brand new world
free of hatred and craziness
no more absurd
only love and peace conserved.
Take a deep breath with me
close your eyes
there is so much beauty to see
even a raindrop seems magical
learn to watch for the miracles.
Let your goal be to be free.
Take a deep breath with me
look inside your soul
pure love will take control.
Take a deep breath with me
I am sure you will agree
that with every breath you take
you will find that all heartbreak
will disappear
and fears will be no longer
and you will be much stronger.
- I believe that we all need to learn to breathe intently and mindfully in order to free ourselves from pain and anxiety and to reach calmness. During this time of social distancing, isolation and for some of us deep sorrow, it is imperative to keep the faith and to maintain our immune system stronger than ever. Below is a link to a video on how to take deep cleansing breaths by Dr. Andrew Weil. I have passed on this video to many of my family members and friends. A fun way to keep connected is to use the Zoom app and do the exercises with a group of friends. Teach your children how to do the breathing exercises. Please let me know about your experiences. In the meantime, stay safe.
https://www.drweil.com/videos-features/videos/breathing-exercises-4-7-8-breath/
Connect Ideas
Haiku 228 by Melba Christie
Truth is all we need
Keep the great question near
and in the present
Connect Ideas
Food For Thought
Because today I have been thinking about so many things at once, I decided to stop thinking. Our political scene which filled with mindful and mindless debates, continuously infusing cleverly crafted alternative facts are driving many of us to drink. It truly saddens me. But we must continue to listen mindfully. I came across a few quotes that calmed my busy mind. I want to share these with you today just in case you too are drained with all that is going on.
“You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing and dance, and write poems, and suffer; and understand, for all that is life.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” -John Milton
Connect Ideas
Dream Catcher
Scared hoop catch my dream
and fill my heart with hope
sunshine through my window
Connect Ideas
The Heart
Usually colored a bright red
shaped simply symmetrically
symbol of adoration,
as to be beloved
on every 14th of Feburary.
Filled with compassion, desire,
and hope.
We all want to come home to our hearts,
to make sure we care about what truly matters.
It beats in unison within every living thing
the minute we enter this life.
Let us remember
we all have only one heart.
Let us remember that it can become
broken at times.
But that love will always heal it.
So much resides in our hearts.
We need to remember to be a kind host.
Share it, and always know,
as the great bard once wrote;
” My heart has rights over your heart.”
And when my heart leaps
it is when I see the greatness
in our humanity.
Let our hearts always be mindful
of the fact,
that we are all together
on the same pathway
coming home to our hearts.
Connect Ideas
Times Have Changed
“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” – Andy Warhol
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” — Victor Frankl
Times have changed;
or have they?
The last time I looked
everything that matters
remains the same.
I often long for those
good old days
You know what I mean;
the days when things seemed simple.
I often thought
I was crazy and brave enough
to change the world.
But I learned what I need was to do is change myself first.
But all I hear is
Times have changed?
I hope I am strong enough
to take control
and change the things
I have control over.
Times have changed
Yes they have
and so have we
we must accept
to change collectively
as well as individually.
Just do it creatively
Do it in the present
Do it in the now
for tomorrow
cannot be foretold.
We cannot continue to hold
on to the past.
The things wherein we thought
would last and never pass.
Things have changed:
yes indeed they have.
And like the Poet Rumi says,
“Yesterday I was clever,
so I wanted to change the world.
Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
The changes you make
will be what matters.
Create the ripples in the river,
Do art and music
that help others think
Engage in song and dance.
Always open your heart
to the miracle of today.
Connect Ideas
A Poem A Day – This Ocean Knows
“Individually, we are one drop.
Together, we are an Ocean.”
―
This ocean knows
the secrets of my soul
I wonder where they all will go
raging by the gusty wind
the waves roll in
a soothing sound
A white blanket of froth forms;
A sense of nostalgia gushes through my body;
Peace surrounds me again
Intimate and majestic
Pure, Tranquil , Mindful
all fears
disappear.
The ocean whispers
confidentially,
“Your secrets are safe, my dear.”
-Melba Christie
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Inspired by Stanley Kunitz
(c) Melba Christie 2018
Every spring I try to plant a beautiful garden like the ones I have seen in magazines. No sooner I plant Begonias, Calandula, Petunias and Pansies, our resident cottontail rabbit and occasional visiting deer snap up the fresh or new blooms.
The rabbit loves the clover that grows wild and free in our backyard. Clover is a weed but I cannot bring myself to stripping it because it has very dainty white flowers and because I too love the green leaves.
Therefore, my garden is composed of large ceramic pots. I have resigned to the fact that I may never have a garden except for the improvised one on our deck.
So what does Stanley Kunitz have to do with my want to be garden? Nothing really. Except that Mark Doty once described how Mr. Kunitz would walk through his garden “paying strict attention to every inch of it.”
I too thought about Mr. Kunitz’s visits to his garden. My grandmother never left her house for years except to step out into her small garden. Hers was a real garden. She talked to the flowers and plants; she claimed they would grow more and bloom more robustly.
Thus, I wrote a poem about her love of nature and especially her garden.
Grandma only felt safe in her garden
the lavender plant soothed her soul
and helped her cope with her phobia.
On a few occasions, I heard her sing
to the tiger lilies. They leaned and seemed to listen.
She stood very still as if she were watching out
for prey like the cottontail did on the grassy lawn
there were no prey to speak of
no one would ever harm her
but she listened carefully to nature’s sounds and warnings
every morning among the daffodils
She is gone now
and so is Stanley K.
I wonder if they stand together
in heaven’s divine garden
praying for us here on earth.
Connect Ideas
Question Mark ?
*I often sit watching the clouds change into different shapes. I wrote this poem this morning after a few minutes of meditation.
I looked up at the sky this morning
mindful of its enormity
yet so serene
Breathed in and out
so gratefully.
Then a white-grayish cloud framed in lavender
morphed into a question mark
so proudly
it spread across the sky
and asked me,
“When is it that all of you will learn to love each other?”
The cloud stretched
and stretched
until it became an endless line,
Now we need to fill in the blank.
Will we?
Connect Ideas
In Tune with Nature
Today was another beautiful day. The temperature was perfect for gardening a little more and for just visiting with nature. I took a walk around the neighborhood and noticed the trees were starting to show off their foliage.
The trees with bright red crimson leaves seemed to smile back at me. The trees in my backyard are still very bare. I looked at the grey limbs and tried to visualize them full of leaves.
I read a few poems every day. This month is National Poetry Month so I even keep a poem in my pocket as suggested by the Poetry Foundation. Poem in Your Pocket Day is a part of the National Poetry Month celebration.
I looked for poems about trees or the beauty of trees. I want to share this excerpt from “When I Am Among Trees” by Mary Oliver in her Collection of Poems titled Thirst. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Gardening and Nature Watching. Also Happy National Poetry Month.
“When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness,
I would almost say they save me, and daily.”
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Quote: Food For Thought
“A generous and elevated mind is distinguished by nothing more certainly than an eminent degree of curiosity.” Samuel Johnson
She Learns Everyday
Today she learned
why the sun shines so much
then she touched a daffodil.
Her lively sense of curiosity
The wondering of why
will germinate seeds
filled with questions
about what is eternity
and as millions before
see how apples fall
only a few like Newton
asked why
She will never shy
from the curious
child within
How marvelous to be just three
and so full of curiosity.
Connect Ideas
All I Need Today
All I need today
is to be simply me
All i need today
is to have someone,
anyone listen attentively,
listen mindfully
listen carefully
so they can know the true me.
