Illumination ~ 1

Illuminating any truth
A task made easier 
with deterimination and discipline

truth does shine through
 burns through any fog
   seeps through cracks thin or wide
      streams across open skies
        sweeps away webs of deception

The difficult tasks?
   To avoid being blinded by lights 
        too beautiful or too bright
     To believe in your own truth
        To recognize the truth in each moment.
          To be aware that shadows hold their own truth.
            To use determination and discipline to ease the way.

“…..I hide you inside me because I have found, 

beauty is the illuminaton of the mind….”

~ John Geddes, A Familiar Rain

Storied Belief

Magical belief in stories
Begins on a grandparent’s knee
Growing up with forts and castles 
Built from cardboard boxes and sheets
Perches on sunflowers on a summer’s day

Magical belief in stories stirred into 

pots of soup and stews in the kitchen

flames up at campfires in the forest
whispers at bedtime when sleepy time brings a gift from the sandman calls out to hearts and souls to find truth in hard facts

Magical belief in story wraps around 

the real world like a beautiful warm scarf
threaded through with shining gold 
covering loud real world voices with magical determination
telling stories in starshine, moonlight and early morning dawning.

“Do you believe in magic?

Tell me if you do

I believe in magic

How about you?”

~ Victoria Zigler, author

Taking A Leap

Responsible forward actions
Actions propelling us forward ~
The Power of Determination creates the energy to keep on walking.

Responsible forward actions are …..
This is far too serious.
Too thoughtful!
How can one be responsible in these shady gray days?
What’s the point?
grayness sends responsibility right off the planet ~
and denial is quite good at blocking the sunshine!

Responsible forward actions should be 
thoughtful, 
well chosen 
After all, we all like a good sleep at night.

Responsible forward actions are
moral and ethical choices!
How boring.
I’ll just leave those two alone.

“Each of us has an undeniable responsiblity 

to ourself and the rest of the world 

to be our personal best on any given day.”

~ Laurie Buchanan, Phd.

Author's note: Edited January 27, 2024

Onward and Upward

Excitement for onward movement,

like a brightly coloured hot air balloon, carries us over mountains, forests and prairies, above oceans, rivers and valleys

Excitement for onward movement

feels like a delicious bite of cinnamon, 

a wildflower taste of honey, 

the flavour of a warm peach in summer sun,

a burst of sunshine bright and blinding.

Excitement for onward movement,

tempered with awe and determination,

carries us forward into a bright future

as long as the fire inside burns hot.

“You can get a lot of work done if you stay with it 
and are excited and it’s play instead of work.”

~ Joseph Campbell, The Hero’s Journey: 
Joseph Campbell on His Life & Work

Author's note: Edited January 27, 2024

Opening the World

Tolerance toward each other flowers when windows and doors swing open without effort.

Intolerance toward each other 
sets in when walls and rules block the way,
Exits and entries shut off from another world

In the world of intolerance,
barbed edges reach into the heart of any matter
shards of glass litter the ground beneath feet of clay.

Tolerance toward each other 
will not distain image, dress or stance
but will throw a party or just share a quiet cup of tea

Tolerance toward each other
dissolves barriers with determination, a smile and a nod
magically embracing the mosaic of our world 

“Books and minds only work when they’re open.”

~ James Dewar

Author's note: Edited January 27, 2024

Enthusiasm for Ideas

Enthusiasm for ideas
Listen…
Do you hear it?
A quickening of voices
Discussion deep and provocative
Animated conversation conducted by arms and hands speaking volumes in the air.
Impassioned pleas for attention and action outside of the mundane and ordinary ~ determined steps angling forward to the same goal.

Enthusiasm for ideas
Be careful……
Struggling over who or what is right
rains dampness like a settling fog.
Shouting one over the other
blows furious, cutting winds
scattering ideas like flower petals on the grass
Remember to listen for truth in new ideas.

“Enthusiasm spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.”

~ Norman Vincent Peale

Daring

Daring to try one more time 
Is really unfair
Stay down
Stay in one’s place
Keep the status quo
Do not rock the boat!

Just because
there’s a desire to survive,
wanting to rebuild family is strong ~ a desperate need to live in safety, another chance to grasp health ~ embracing recovery from active addiction brings balance?

Daring to try one more time
may be unfair to you or to me
~ rocking our boats ~
but the determination to go against
entrenched stigma is more than fair.
It is absolutely daring.

“Risk anything! Care no more for the opinion of others…

do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth.”

~ (Journal entry, 14 October 1922)

~ Katherine Mansfield,  Journal of Katherine Mansfield

Author's note: Edited January 27, 2024