Soul Scent

Mystery

2012-01-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, When the Light

Sometimes, when the light strikes at odd angles
and pulls you back into childhood

and you are passing a crumbling mansion
completely hidden behind old willows

or an empty convent guarded by hemlocks
and giant firs standing hip to hip,

you know again that behind that wall,
under the uncut hair of the willows

something secret is going on,
so marvelous and dangerous

that if you crawled through and saw,
you would die, or be happy forever.

Poem by Lisel Mueller

Image by Andrea Maria Cox

The Willow Tree

2011-12-16T04:29:00.000-08:00

Dusk at Weymouth

At dusk there is a silence as no other.

With its bone chilling-depth and stillness,

I wonder if this soundlessness exists beyond the periphery of my beloved woods.

It is, as if the day knows its imminent death and decent into darkness.

With not a rustling leaf or a hyper squirrel in sight, the focus falls on the eternal solitude within.

Nervously, I look around.

Hearing this morbid silence and feeling unfamiliar ground,

I wonder where the birds are.

The leaves have fallen from the Willow and the tree is bare,

Reflecting my own naked soul.

This branched-out; wooden beam stands all alone, weeping and accepting,

Hence it offers its solid presence to all who pass on wing or foot.

I lean on this, my old friend and find the comfort to face the night.

Image and Poem by SAMC

November 2011

Coming Home To Me.

2011-07-03T19:28:00.000-07:00

Pain Body

2011-07-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

Alone.. ..and with

A bleeding heart..

I remember..

The Pain..

and for the millionth time

I wanted to be dead to it and kill this pain body of mine.

I staggered through the woods this early Sunday morning

not because I was drunk with the beauty of this prime summer day, teasing me with it's gentle breeze, nor was it from keeping up with the happy zig zagging of my dog following a bunny trail .

I stumbled blindly, but never the less moving forward, because I was in pain, shaken by grief with sobbing bouts of tears and fears.

...OLd OLd PAin....

The trees caught my heart and lifted it high into the thicket of their seasonal bounty with their swirling - green - healing - balm...

and strung me up along-side other dancing hearts.

No longer ALONE.

Self Love

2011-06-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

My heart jumped out of my body today,

all upset - broken and dismayed.

The pain was so much it could not remain in the cavity of my chest.

Why, Why must I still hurt?

The pain inflicted is old and stale.

I cried, I was ugly to myself and to my most treasured.

I tried to write it out in harsh words, and pleading to the gods and anyone willing and able to hear, and help.

What must I do? How can I change this?

Once and forever?

Is my thinking correct?

No help.

Step by step, I walked through this day.

Once again-

Once more.

Surely there is hope of mending this old hurt,

inflicted by the one who bore me, perpetuated by my tribe with it's horrific burden of war.

How can I cut the umbilical to the emotions and dwell in the objective?

I kept on walking down the trail, following my heart.

It was very confused and disorganized.

Not much was accomplished it seemed.

all appeared gloom and doom.

But there was a lot of good going on...the pain just spoiled it all.

Pain, pain go away....You do not serve me anymore.

I want peace and harmony.

Forgiveness, yes I know it,

but;

I am not successful at it.

Perhaps it is because I buried the pain.

Now

my most precious is holding up the mirror.

How I loath the refection.

ugly

jealous

shameful

contorted

out of control

and

mean.

Steadfast

my most dearest looks at me

and witnesses the unfolding drama of the past.

Surely, the puzzle pieces will connect,

even for me.

Someone who has loved everyone,

but herself

and we know,

one can not love the other

unless one can love herself.

Where do I find the tool, the person, the magic,

that teaches me how to really embrace myself?

I have been practicing for many years, now I am ambushed

broken down

in bits and pieces

with the realty of my physical

self

not loving and in debilitating pain.

I am to smart to blame anyone but myself.

This is not helpful,

but it is the truth.

Where can I find the strength?

God and spirit are not talking to me.

Never has.

I am not saying that this is the truth,

I am am just not hearing God.

However, there is proof of the divine in my life everywhere.

Is it make believe when others claim to communicate and see their guides and teachers?

Or am I without belief ?

I just heard the message.

I feel lighter now.

My beloved,

my most precious,

my own flesh and blood

is my Angel,

a Goddess,

my support and my love,

here to help me heal my heart.

Baby

2011-03-31T06:04:00.000-07:00

Baby

You have come a long way,

Yes you

Who was a baby

When it was nineteen-eighty.

And now you are a woman, Goddess – leader

Who runs at her own meter.

You teach you coach you smile

And lead us down the extra mile.

People no longer say maybe,

Goddess Woman, they receive you like a baby,

Ready to accept your gifts, your ways,

The bounty you offer, at last it pays.

To shine your light is no lesser a plight

And very much needed

In these days of chaos heated

Descending, t’was your wish, you pleaded

The promise to come a long way,

And leave like a baby.

Poem by Andrea Cox

March 31, 2011

WHY I AM

2011-03-06T04:43:00.000-08:00

"So, why am I who I am, and why am I born to who I am born to, and why is it set up the way it is set up?" We say, "For the fun of it. For the joy of it. For the expansion of it. For the growth of it. For the difference in it. For the desire producing value in it."

--- Abraham

Spring Morning in the Pines

2011-03-05T17:03:00.000-08:00

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Love

2011-02-13T18:32:00.000-08:00

And here is my heart which beats only for you. Paul Verlaine

At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet. Plato

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.  Mother Teresa

Let love be the sweet elixir that awakens your spirit and moves your soul to dance.

Author Unknown

Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit. 

Kahlil Gibran

Love is a never ending feeling.  Adeil Prince

You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back.  Barbara De Angelis

Out Of Hiding

2011-02-07T20:43:00.001-08:00

Out Of Hiding

Someone said my name in the garden,

while I grew smaller  in the spreading shadow of the peonies,

grew larger by my absence to another, grew older among the ants, ancient

under the opening heads of the flowers,  new to myself, and stranger.

When I heard my name again, it sounded far,  like the name of the child next door,  or a favorite cousin visiting for the summer,

while the quiet seemed my true name,  a near and inaudible singing  born of hidden ground.

Quiet to quiet, I called back.  And the birds declared my whereabouts all morning.

~ Li-Young Lee

Heart

2011-02-01T03:48:00.000-08:00

"I am the one who dwells

within a small and tangible community called world.

And, I am the one who dwells within an infinite universe.

Within, without, above, below,

I connect to my heart and what has heart.

And I share my heart

With ALL."

~AMC

IMAGE -http://www.un.org/events/highlights/heart.htm

I Am The New World

2011-01-25T19:57:00.000-08:00

How sweet

I stand

All

Alone

In the pond

Called Life

EYE

Stand marked

Alone- Virgin Pink

and

Full of

Promised tenderness

Fresh dew

Moist glistening

Desire

Passion

understanding All

BUT

Shaped in watery

Dark

Blink the

EYE

and

The

New World

2011-01-24T19:41:00.000-08:00

Lyrics by Sting

A thousand years, a thousand more,

A thousand times a million doors to eternity

I may have lived a thousand lives, a thousand times

An endless turning stairway climbs

To a tower of souls

If it takes another thousand years, a thousand wars,

The towers rise to numberless floors in space

I could she'd another million tears, a million breaths,

A million names but only one truth to face

A million roads, a million fears

A million suns, ten million years of uncertainty

I could speak a million lies, a million songs,

A million rights, a million wrongs in this balance of time

But if there was a single truth, a single light

A single thought, a singular touch of grace

Then following this single point , this single flame,

The single haunted memory of your face

I still love you

I still want you

A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves

Like galaxies in my head

I may be numberless, I may be innocent

I may know many things, I may be ignorant

Or I could ride with kings and conquer many lands

Or win this world at cards and let it slip my hands

I could be cannon food, destroyed a thousand times

Reborn as fortune's child to judge another's crimes

Or wear this pilgrim's cloak, or be a common thief

I've kept this single faith, I have but one belief

I still love you

I still want you

A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves

Like galaxies in my head

On and on the mysteries unwind themselves

Eternities still unsaid

'Til you love me

2010-12-20T19:46:00.001-08:00

..her heart is full of love.

she sends it out to him..

I am love

I love

I am love

To love

He is a man

a contemporary man

who is wise

for he lives without expectations

moment by moment

he accepts what

TRUELY

then

simply

HE IS.

He's a man

yet

to her

he is a Creature.

She feels raptured

by his

calmness

his understanding

Bewildered

and Blessed

by his simplicity

he is an artist

a man

who walks to the beat of a different drum

who's words

are original

who's heart is humble.

..her heart is full of love.

she sends it out to him..

I am love

I love

I am love

To love

There is a woman

so complex

so real

simple

she resonates now

and is abundant

and dances the waltz of life

with him

her love

unexpected

her love

from before and beyond

her love

now

and the

future.

2010

2010-12-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

The sum of my year 2010

Each MORNING
of every DAY
I was OUT in the WOODS
enjoying NEW LIFE
BEING in my HEART and the NOW.

The capitalized words are my top then words I used on my face book status.

May the beauty of nature be a comfort and companion in 2011 as well.

2010-12-13T20:07:00.001-08:00

You will find something more in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters.

Saint Bernard (1090 - 1153)

2010-10-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

All lovely things will have an ending, All lovely things will fade and die; And youth, that's now so bravely spending, Will beg a penny by and by.

~Conrad Aiken

Last Zinnia of the Season.

2010

2010-10-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

Sputnik |ˈspətnik; ˈspoŏt-|

noun

ORIGIN Russian, literally ‘fellow-traveler.’

2010-10-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

God bless the roots! Body and soul are one.
Theodore Roethke

2010-09-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

THE PROMISE OF A NEW DAY

EAGLE'S CALLING AND HE'S CALLING YOUR NAME

TIDES ARE TURNING BRINGING WINDS OF CHANGE

WHY DO I FEEL THIS WAY

THE PROMISE OF A NEW DAY

AS THRU TIME THE EARTH MOVES UNDER MY FEET

ONE STEP CLOSER TO MAKE LOVE COMPLETE

WHAT HAS THE FINAL SAY

THE PROMISE OF A NEW DAY

AND SO TIME OVER TIME

WHAT WILL CHANGE THE WORLD

NO ONE KNOWS

SO THE ONLY PROMISE IS A DAY TO LIVE, TO GIVE

AND TO SHARE WITH ONE ANOTHER

SEE THE WISDOM FROM MISTAKES IN OUR PAST

HEAR THE YOUNGER GENERATION ASK

WHY DO I FEEL THIS WAY

THE PROMISE OF A NEW DAY

AND SO TIME OVER TIME

WHAT WILL CHANGE THE WORLD

NO ONE KNOWS

SO THE ONLY PROMISE IS A DAY TO LIVE, TO GIVE

AND TO SHARE WITH ONE ANOTHER.

Paula Abdul

2010-09-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

2010-09-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

2010-09-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

“Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defense.”

Mark Overby

2010-09-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

2010-09-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

Charm is a product of the unexpected.
Jose Marti

2010-09-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

There is no division between your daily work and you spiritual unfoldment. Your work is where you spiritual unfoldment takes place.
Chin-Ning Chu # Work, Spiritual Quotes

2010-09-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

I live my life on self-belief and I live it partly on going with the flow.
Melanie Brown

I love the written word so much, I know it's gonna flow naturally.
Alicia Keys

2010-09-05T17:28:00.001-07:00

Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.
Wayne Dyer

2010-09-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

“Reflection is a flower of the mind, giving out wholesome fragrance; but revelry is the same flower, when rank and running to seed.”

Desiderius Erasmus

2010-08-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.

Jane Austen

2010-08-28T04:25:00.000-07:00

2010-08-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating.
Karl Von Clausewitz

2010-08-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

"Activity conquers cold, but stillness conquers heat."

Lao Tzu

Invitation to Poetry: Monk in the World

2010-08-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

The heavily cloaked and hooded androgyny deep in the belly of the ancient sacred sanctuary where it is dark and moist illuminated and bathed in golden reflections by two round and richly colored orbs.

Walking in silence with head bowed, soft steps and almost inaudible breath.

Alive, aware and conscious, yet perceived as a shadow, hollow and transparent.

Grounded, yet equally lofty, in the world and off it.

A solidified mass within ethereal vastness, holy and human, natural and animal alike.

I am.

Embodied Spirit.

Amongst my brothers and sisters,

I walk.

I surf the waves.

I touch.

I serve.

I co-create.

Stepping through the carved portals from the safe heaven of the cloister cell, blinded by the reflection of the new world, I reach for the light and shed my cloak.

I am.

Spirit.

Among my brothers and sisters,

I soar.

I praise.

I serve.

I celebrate.

Thank You, Christene for inspiring me to write again.

Welcome to our 46th Poetry Party!

The Poetry Parties have been on hiatus for a few months and I am delighted to bring them back as a regular feature this week.

I select an image and suggest a theme/title and invite you to respond with your poems or other reflections. Add your responses in the comments section. Feel free to take your poem in any direction and then post the image and invitation on your blog (if you have one) and encourage others to come join the party! (permission is granted to reprint the image if a link is provided back to this post)

On Friday, August 27th, I will draw a name at random from those who participate and send the winner a copy of Sacred Poetry: An Invitation to Write (an art journal I published with a collection of previous Poetry Party prompts).

Messenger

2010-08-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

Symbology by:

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/signs.html

Image ~amc~ 2010

Bell Ave

2010-08-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

"I am open to the guidance of synchronicity, and do not let expectations hinder my path.”

~amc~

Weymouth 2010

2010-08-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”

~amc~

Sardegna 2007

2010-08-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

~amc~

2007

2010-08-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

“Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation ... even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind.”

Leonardo da Vinci

~amc~

2007

2010-08-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

“There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those.”

Michael Nolan

image

~amc~

2007

2010-08-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

~amc~

2009

2010-08-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

"Turn on, tune in, drop out."

Timothy Leary

~amc~

Weymouth 2009

2010-08-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

~amc~

2010

Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph; not searching for unusual subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual.
Edward Weston

2010-08-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

~amc~

Summer 2010

2010-08-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

~amc~

Sardegna 2007

2010-08-03T19:56:00.000-07:00

~amc~

2009

Pathway

2010-08-03T19:17:00.001-07:00

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives."
Henry David Thoreau

~amc~
2007 Sardegna, Italy

Joy

2010-07-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
John Muir

image ~amc2010

Peace

2010-07-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.
John Muir

image~amc 2010

Transformation

2010-05-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

The cool morning breeze and early song of birds

floating gently through my window

nudging me ever so sweetly into a new day.

The damp heat rises from my face,

and my body informs me quietly of it's state.

Lazily and for certain, the sun initiates it's trail up our hill.

This morning there is a sure knowing of the shift,

a transformation so deep and long,

which every cell of my body confirms and vibrates to.

There is no denying, no hiding.

My mind is in awe of it's powerlessness and eager to sort

this new and rising vibration of the soul.

The morning light has returned.

The birds land and pause on the Kudzu laden fence,

separating one empty lot from another.

I have bid farewell to yesterday with a grateful heart and bittersweet tears.

Filled with teachings and only blessings of the highest kind.

Leaving my soul marked with stretch marks and tattooed with fine memories.

The dawn of a new journey is here outside my window, as well as in my heart.

Kind and cheerfully offering it's cool and breezy comfort,

For the sun has risen and promises it's heat without mercy to anyone.

Quickly I dress myself and leash the dog and run off to the woods,

to catch more of this glorious, cool morning,

and soak it up into the bank account of my bones,

for I know I will depend on it's withdrawal to counter balance the rising heat.

Poem and Photo by ~amc~ May 2010

Enchanted April

2010-04-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

The woods are pristine on this enchanted April morning, Dogwood petals floating through the air caressing my cheeks, and the Wisteria is forging a purple path through our sweet little town and with the weight of each step, releases it's fragrant and vanishing essence.

~amc~

The Curse~ Scene One

2010-03-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

She lived for Saturday night, and tonight needed to be special.

The old town was laden with snow, sticking to the gables like glue. A frigid wind howled high around the cathedral across the street, and the black coal burned high, sending a dark, grey smoke furling up into the fading day.

Carefully, Uschi rolled up the nylon stocking, gently tucking and pulling the precious garment until it rose up to meet its attachment, a black girdle. She was turning up the volume of her new Tonfunk stereo, answering the knock at the door.

“Come in.”

“Hello,” Helga said as she rushed in from the cold December night.

“Listen! This is the new Platters song. I can’t wait. How are you?”

Her stomach was knotting up. She pulled on the other stocking and watched her friend take off her coat. Both staring at the door and quickly exchanged a nervous glance.

“What should I wear? The chartreuse tweed skirt with my magenta twin set, or? Oh, wait! How about this? The patent leather skirt with the leopard print blouse, that just arrived from America? Did you hear, Dior just announced shorter skirt length for the next season?” Hurriedly, she buttoned up the blouse, both now singing along another Doo Wop song.

“I want to try that shoulder flip tonight,” Uschi said, when angrily the door to her rented room flew open. The chill from the cold hallway penetrated the room like a bad omen, clinging to her mother’s back like an onyx cloak.

“Can’t you knock? After all, I pay you for it.”

Her mother aimed for the radio and turned it off. Uschi turned red, but she stopped herself and took in a deep breath.

“I did the laundry and washed the floors as you wanted me to,” she said. With a deep sigh, fighting back tears now, she continued.

“I told Mrs. Bauer that you would not allow my transfer to Munich’s fashion house. Are you happy now?”

“You going out looking like this?” She snared. Consider yourself lucky; your grand- mother would have locked you in the basement for a week, looking like a tramp. I can’t believe you are doing this to me. The neighbors will never let me hear the end of it, and the guys will think you are coming straight out of a brothel--this is how you thank me? I tell you, you will never amount to nothing going around looking like a tramp.” The old woman nodded her head at Helga, who was nervously twirling a peace of paper.

“I’ve made you the hat that you like, here! Put it on, see if it fits.”

The mother took the hat out of the box, steps in front of the mirror, and pleased with the reflection, she goes back to the radio, switching it back on and motioning the young women to leave.

New Explorations

2010-03-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

My writing is inspired by going to a local Coffee House Sunday nights where I can listen to poetry and music. Strangers getting up to bare their souls and share their passions has me stirred, twirled and moving. What is more community building than interacting beyond the superficial? For me there is nothing more inspiring, nurturing and inviting.

I had slowed down over the winter months and shifted focus. Trying my hand and pen with short story writing, learning all I can about writing and journaling. Alongside exploring words, I am taking pictures and learning all I can about images and PSCS4.

Finally, I poked my head back in the public arena and went to Poetry Night. The host promised a shift in perspective.

"You might come with something and you might leave with something else."

And right he was. Even so I do not have a new poem, what I do have is scenes from a short story. My fellow artists inspire and encourage me to share. And so I will.

Naked

2010-02-13T06:26:00.000-08:00

Thank you

For this night and your gift

Of lying with me, indulging my exploration, my journey of your essence.

You are reluctant , but succumb with sweet surrender

Your heart blossoms into trust,

And divine bliss unites and rejoices with it’s natural state.

Beyond what is merely carnal.

Listen and hear the misperception.

Breathe it out and become the moment of completeness

Release and die All of Your self to me.

With me the divine Self manifests weaving a liquid rhythm.

Washing against our hearts and creating a melody of all eternal songs.

We are but instruments of divinity and humanity,

As we unleash our true nature to be exalted and revered

With that, who creates All.

amc 2010

My Wish For You.

2010-01-02T06:22:00.001-08:00

“My wish for you is that you have a never-ending series of dreams

and a furious desire to realize a few of them.

My wish for you is that you love what must be loved

and forget what must be forgotten.

I wish you passions. I wish you silences.

My wish for you is that you hear the songs of birds

and the laughter of children at your awaking.

My wish for you is that you resist the down-troddenness,

the indifference, the negative virtues of our era.

My wish for you especially is that you be you!”

~Jacques Brel

Happy Solstice

2009-12-20T17:33:00.000-08:00

"I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember."

Oliver Herford, I Heard a Bird Sing

"Love awoke one winter's night

And wander'd through the snowbound land,

And calling to beasts and birds

Bid them his message understand.

And from the forest all wild things
That crept or flew obeyed love's call,
And learned from him the golden words
Of brotherhood for one and all."
- Author Unknown

Images by ~amc~ 2008

Heart filled with Beauty ~ Mind radiating Smiles.

2009-12-13T06:54:00.000-08:00

Last night the Beloved touched me

Looking deeply into my eyes

Meeting and merging with it’s reflection.

Waves of bliss washed over the altar of love, creating a flood of the Divine

The liquid ecstasy that was created

cleansed and freed our sacrificial souls,

And setting our hearts ablaze with the Love of the Beloved.

The Beloved's plan is to intoxicate us with it's Love,

Only to infect us with its chronic Love and Beauty.

Curing our hearts and souls

Healing our dis-ease and dis-connect

Making us whole so that we become;

~Love~

And

~Love~

Creating, playing, living, and working in peace and harmony.

Art by: Anma's art www.anmasart.com/shakti.html

Poem by Aesthete, December 2009

Dedicated to Pan.

December 13, 2009

2009-12-13T06:13:00.000-08:00

The Christmas tree offers hope and light.

It's beauty, to young and old, a delight.

The candles burn day and night

To remind us the sun will return glowing bright.

December 11, 2009

2009-12-12T16:35:00.001-08:00

Out and about with my best's friend.

Celebrating the season and our work.

The Pines brought us together

We are adventurers in any weather.

December 10, 2009

2009-12-10T16:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas gone by, creating memories.

In the Pines we expect a very frigate breeze.

Tonight everything is quiet,

As we wait for the divine child to visit.

December 9, 2009

2009-12-10T16:47:00.000-08:00

This season is full of fun and cheer
In the woods the sleigh is ready for its deer.
In the Pines we had rain and sunshine.
Are these presents all mine?

December 8, 2009

2009-12-08T14:33:00.000-08:00

In the Pines it is cold and grey

But we would not want to trade it for May

The season is full of fun and cheer

In the woods the sleigh is ready for its deer.

December 7, 2009

2009-12-07T14:18:00.001-08:00

Home Sweet Home

In the Pines

All's a sparkle and it shines.

December 5, 2009

2009-12-05T16:59:00.000-08:00

In the Pines,

the day of the Parade came in bitter,

rainy bouts did not harm the glitter.

Seasonal and Southern hospitality,

relinquish all formalities.

The gifts of Pfeffernusse and a Choirs song

making the wait 'til Christmas not to long.

December 4, 2009

2009-12-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

In the Pines the storekeepers decking the halls.

We stroll the streets instead the malls.

Feeling like the good old days.

Christmas is not far away.

December 3, 2009

2009-12-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

In the Pines blue and bright skies bring cheer.

Cleaning house and counting days until you are near.

December 2, 2009

2009-12-02T05:19:00.000-08:00

Cold winds and grey skies in the Pines.

The focus turns inward and the desire to create more light rises.

Off to the basement in search for more glitter.

December 1, 2009

2009-12-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Season has arrived in the Pines.

May the Eternal Light warm your hearth and illuminate your path.

I’d like to wish you and yours a winter and holiday season full of Blessings.

Peace

Joy

Beauty

Walk with me.

2009-11-06T05:32:00.000-08:00

Please stop by the Abbey blog and join the newest Poetry Party inspired by my ancestral journeys and retreat.

You walk with me

Morning and night

Day after day

Season upon season

I can count on your smile

With the rising of the sun

I rely on your ever changing moods

Your enduring presence is my anchor

You walk with me

Stranger and untouchable One

Yet you are lover, mother, brother

Bestowing me with grace and comfort

If not for you, I would not be

The depth of my day would be flat and empty.

No mysteries past, no sense of belonging present

With my grateful heart I welcome and walk with you

~amc~ Fall 2009

"I am stand in awe of my body" ~THOREAU~

2009-10-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

My body took me for a walk and my eyes saw deep beauty.

My ears heard songs of whispers and happiness performed by birds and trees.

My skin was caressed by a crisp morning breeze and kissed by my beloved walking companion.

My nose found intrigue by a certain fall aroma, their origin yet to be discovered.

I taste life in full measure.

Cool Touch

2009-10-31T11:38:00.001-07:00

Cool Touch

Hot body.

Smoldering soul in a cauldron over open fire.

Air scented with sublime decay, reminiscent of full summer days.

Travelers along the winding paths easily sharing the same walk.

Moments savored because conscious choice was made.

Following the call of the heart to be in the moment,

Allowing and accepting just what, who and where we are.

You touch me.

The moon descents upon my skin,

Trickles down my spine in light blue splendor.

The breath at once slows, and all the senses pique with curious wonder.

The past just melts, the future fades away with disinterest.

Only this cool, soft comforting feeling matters.

This hand on my naked shoulder, offering me all the mysteries of a luminous full moon.

You touch me.

Words flowing from your mouth like a gay mountain stream.

Smooth and calm, seemingly, they laid dormant in you like flower seedlings.

Poetic words floating out of you like helium infused and scented blossoms,

Singing praise of the makers gift.

An exalted moment grows with all of nature delighted by your essence.

The memory of your cool hand lingers, and the imprint upon my soul whispers your name.

You touch me.

This Morning I wept

2009-10-31T07:09:00.000-07:00

This morning I wept

in deep gratitude

for all the beauty around

and within

The slight ache in my muscles

sing witness praise

of the many hours walking with you;

praying,

shedding the past

like the trees shaking of their leaves.

Leaving behind

and connecting anew,

each time I get lost,

I am found again.

Every backward step

turns forward,

reminding me what feels natural

and what feels uncomfortable.

You exist within me like a ocean

deep, vast, ebbing and flowing,

sometimes storming with wild exquisite rage,

noticeable enough to heed you,

hear you and

acknowledge you.

I honor you.

Sensory Journey~ finding your way home with SoulCollage..coming soon!

2009-10-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

Walk with me

2009-10-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

walk with me

and discover

what has

heart and meaning

See the endless bounty bestowed on us

feel the deathless cycle of our souls

reborn

to dance again

and again

together

2009-10-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it is dark.

~Zen Proverb

Weymouth. autumn light 2009

Meaning

2009-10-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

When we return to the root, we gain the meaning.

~Hsin-Hsin Ming

Oak tree, Arlington Cemetery

Classroom

2009-10-16T04:16:00.000-07:00

The woods are my classroom,

what profound lessons I find there.

The trees are my friends, what comfort they bring me.

The birds are my music,

how lovely they entertain me.

The ground I walk on is my mother, solidly she supports me.

The wind is my lover, caressing my skin and kissing my collar bone

Walk in the rain

2009-10-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

The woods are alive with a song played by a soft rain. The rich earth tones offer a pleasing contrast to the grey sky overhead. Mischievously an army of mushrooms appear from underground. The pungent pine aroma leads the way to the old, wise tree which sends you a promise of long and deep shadows for your comfort.

Abundance

2009-09-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

I am the most abundant poor person I know.

In the moment I find the richness of a smile, someone willing to share what's important, the infinite blue sky, a song, an image, anything random.

Then I forget,

I check in and listen to my breath.

Yes!

I am alive,

Feel

Smell

Taste

See

I am

I am the most abundant poor person I know.

Words and Photo by amc

Poetry Man ~ Revision

2009-09-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

Poetry Man

You haunt me with your raspy voice and your words kicking up the dust around my soul

Sometimes you gift me with a smile

And other times your words sting me and they bring tears to my eyes

If you hope to stir my soul with your words and you want to share a piece of you with me

And you silently wish that I might see you, hear you beyond the sound of your voice

And feel the importance of your essence shared

Then let me tell you that you do, and much more

In the brief moments in which I see your soul behind your infinite eyes

I start to shiver and my skin flushes, heat rises and my heart is beating quickly

Mysteries are being laid before me, unknown worlds beckon to be explored

I feel like flying and floating, tumbling in space

My thinking becomes disorganized and I lose my focus

Drunkenly I find my way home through the dark,

Awakening the next morning hung over from so many words and emotions

And the feel of you covers me throughout the week like honey brown molasses

For a brief moment I sailed high upon exhilaration

Your skillful grafted words spinning a web of innuendos and wonder

With which I chose to plunge deep into my own mysteries

And at that depth I found a treasure long hidden and ready to emerge

The joy of this discovery is palpable, rich and hypnotic, permeating all my actions

Of course I dared to hope of possibilities shared

Of dancing under the full moon at midnight

Of you playing me and me playing you

Like instruments creating sweet melodies and wild trance rhythms

And when asked what lie behind those woven words

I heard the whole story that washed over me like a thundering ocean wave

Crushing those tender moments of fierce imagination

After every storm there is a moment of calmness

Here, I find my treasure left behind from this random act of nature

Humbly, I place it on my altar of love as an offering for a new beginning.

Poem by AMC

And So The Journey Goes

2009-09-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

I am stunned by the beauty of this day

I am bewildered with the depth of life revealing itself to me

I am thunderstruck by the jelled feel of my brain

By my body saying; “hey you” I have different plans for you today

This force is pushing me deep into the back of my chair and says;

“Hey! I want to play

I want to create now

Notice me, I am everywhere

I am called inspiration

I am the breath that breathes you

I am love, I am passion, I am laughter

I want to be everywhere

Follow me, nothing else will do.”

The wind is singing a soft and gentle song

The sky grins with infinite beckon

The meadows are freshly trimmed and fragrant

The moon is building its momentum to fully shine upon me

I can not hide anymore

All of creation calling me to join this frolicking

It is bigger than just love or lust

It is the call to co- create the new consciousness

The new way of being beautiful

Of being aware of the radiance which is in everything and everyone

A renewed awareness and commitment of the embodiment of this light and radiance

Especially in uncomfortable moments

I cannot escape this call, and I witness some my fellow travelers

Awakening to this call aware, able to name it or not.

We must simply create and live outside the box no matter the cost

So much beauty has been sacrificed

We now must heed the call and reconnect, trust and walk in faith

We must “will the will” of the highest order.

I know it looks hopeless sometimes with all that is already lost

But we have enough to weave a new web of a new world order

Peace, Beauty, Love and Light prevails

The light destroys the dark

Always

Dignified and with deep gratitude I genuflect

To you who is me

And to me

Who is you

And to all of us

Who are of the One

Poetry by AMC~ Image by www.rheaoneill.com/index.php

Abbey of the Arts ~ Invitation to Poetry ~ MOMENTS

2009-08-31T05:04:00.000-07:00

Invitation to Poetry: Moments

I had a 'moment' less than 24 hours ago in which a poem was spontaneously born from the depth of my heart and soul. I was looking for an image, and voila synchronicity! To my delight receiving this prompt is bringing it all together.

I invite you too, to the poetry party with the Abbey of the Arts.

Poetry Man

You haunt me with your raspy voice

And your words kicking up the dust around my soul

Sometimes you gift me with a smile

And other times your words sting me

And they bring tears to my eyes

If you hope to stir my soul with your words

And you want to share a piece of you with me

And you silently wish that I might see you

Hear you beyond the sound of your voice

And feel the importance of your essence shared

Then let me tell you that you do, and much more

In the brief moments in which I see your soul behind your infinite eyes

I start to shiver and my skin flushes

Heat rises and my heart is beating quickly

Mysteries are being laid before me

Unknown worlds beckon to be explored

I feel like flying and floating, tumbling in space

My thinking becomes disorganized and I lose my focus

Drunkenly, I find my way home through the dark

Awakening the next morning hung over from so many words and emotions

And the feel of you covers me throughout the week

Like honey brown molasses.

Poem by AMC, Image by Abbey of the Arts Invitation to Poetry: Moments

2009-08-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

Touched by an Angel

2009-08-06T13:37:00.001-07:00

You swirl around my soul, heart and mind like a waft of lingering incense smoke.

I miss you and long for your embrace.

Your embrace brings me comfort and a sense of belonging.

The warmth of your body whispers volumes of unspoken truths,

That to me are ancient, present and real.

Never have I felt so whole as in those peaceful moments of our hearts touching.

I don’t want words and I don’t really need the act of love right now,

Just your embrace, just being held and touch the eternal other in you,

Feeling the wholeness and safety and not be physically alone.

I want to sense you feeling me and unfolding in the bliss of arriving home.

I miss those precious moments of experiencing this true love.

I miss you and long for your embrace.

Your embrace bestows me peace from the hell of carnal existence.

The radiance of your open heart calls and entices me to leap out of the apparent comfort of my bodily home.

Flying me home on the wings of this enormous moment in time of shared love.

Step by step a heaven was re-created and souls forever blessed.

Poem by AMC

MOTHER

2009-08-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Your enormous body

Home to so many children

You exist suspended in thin air

You are the epitome of the mother archetype

Never abandon no matter the audacities inflicted upon you

Never ceasing to provide, never complain

Your beauty is a tremendous gift to your children’s soul

Causing a combustion of inspiration to flourish

Everyone an artist expressing your creation through all mediums

You provide food for the belly, food for the eyes, food for the heart and food for thought

You have nurtured consistently since the birth of human kind.

In your core burns a fire intense enough to warm us all.

With a Mother like you no one is ever lost

The ground we stand on is always our home

Even amidst a burned down forest we can find your smile

And your promise for renewal and never to abandon.

Poem by AMC

Spiritual Conspiracy

2009-08-02T04:30:00.000-07:00

On the surface of the world right now there is
war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly, at the same time,
something else is happening underground
An inner revolution is taking place
and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.
It is a silent revolution.
From the inside out. From the ground up.
This is a Global operation.
A Spiritual Conspiracy.
There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet.
You won’t see us on the T.V.
You won’t read about us in the newspaper
You won’t hear about us on the radio
We don’t seek any glory
We don’t wear any uniform
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles
Most of us work anonymously
We are quietly working behind the scenes
in every country and culture of the world
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys,
in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands
You could pass by one of us on the street
and not even notice
We go undercover
We remain behind the scenes
It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done
Occasionally we spot each other in the street
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way
During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs
But behind the false storefront at night
is where the real work takes a place
Some call us the Conscious Army
We are slowly creating a new world
with the power of our minds and hearts
We follow, with passion and joy
Our orders come from the Central Spiritual Intelligence
We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking
Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~
Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~ Websites
Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness…
We each express ourselves in our own unique ways
with our own unique gifts and talents
Be the change you want to see in the world
That is the motto that fills our hearts
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place
We know that quietly and humbly we have the
power of all the oceans combined
Our work is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains
It is not even visible at first glance
And yet with it entire tectonic plates
shall be moved in the centuries to come
Love is the new religion of the 21st century
You don’t have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it
It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings
Be the change you want to see in the world
Nobody else can do it for you
We are now recruiting
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have.
All are welcome
The door is open
~ author unknown

This came to my attention via my friend Tom Thompson, I love it.

What about you?

You can visit this sage at:

http://www.theawakenedheartcenter.com

Purpose

2009-07-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

I am the one that was born lost.

After laborious and relentless searching, I now consciously connect with the all-knowing source that fuels my purpose.

I am an empty vessel.

With purpose I invite source each day to fill me with its limitless abundance.

My life’s work is calling for me to facilitate people.

I reconnect them with their source and their nature, and I intend to make them feel good.

The gift I bring is healing touch, unconditional positive regard, words, images, sounds and the sharing of fragrant knowledge.

Today marks the end of the 10th month, of a 12 month journey of self exploration with Soul Collage and words. This is facilitated online and was created by Mili Ballard.

Each month we are creating a collage based on the 12 astrological houses. It has been a rich experience.

The theme of this collage is about our career and work in the world, our public selves. "The 10th house resounds with the mantra, 'My work in the world is a source of meaning to me and those I touch and serve. In my work, I embrace, deepen, and express my unique combination of gifts and talents so work feels as natural and refreshing as play."

Please visit Mili at:

http://home.earthlink.net/~milih/

Summer's Magic

2009-07-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

Mountain Blueberry

2009-07-21T05:21:00.001-07:00

DSC_0424
Originally uploaded by 2blossom2

Wishing you a berry delicious day!

Walk

2009-07-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

A sublime Stillness

The clear air

A cool breeze

The song of birds

A pristine sky above me

Lush green vegetation

And the rich brown, black earth below me

My heart is exalted with this beauty and peace

Which strums every cord of emotion, thought and feeling

And resonates every cell in grand joy and gratitude

For this is richness and abundance

That only cost me an hour of my time.

How can we feel poor and victimized

When there is so much natural wonder?

When the cost of a deposit in the Joy account

Demands only a willingness to step out?

Poem by AMC

Soul Scent

Mystery

The Willow Tree

Coming Home To Me.

Pain Body

Self Love

Baby

WHY I AM

Spring Morning in the Pines

Love

Out Of Hiding

Heart

I Am The New World

2010

“Reflection is a flower of the mind, giving out wholesome fragrance; but revelry is the same flower, when rank and running to seed.”

“Reflection is a flower of the mind, giving out wholesome fragrance; but revelry is the same flower, when rank and running to seed.”

Desiderius Erasmus

Invitation to Poetry: Monk in the World

Thank You, Christene for inspiring me to write again.

Messenger

“Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation ... even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind.”

Leonardo da Vinci

Pathway

Joy

Peace

Transformation

Enchanted April

The woods are pristine on this enchanted April morning, Dogwood petals floating through the air caressing my cheeks, and the Wisteria is forging a purple path through our sweet little town and with the weight of each step, releases it's fragrant and vanishing essence.

The Curse~ Scene One

New Explorations

Naked

My Wish For You.

Happy Solstice

Heart filled with Beauty ~ Mind radiating Smiles.

December 13, 2009

December 11, 2009

December 10, 2009

December 9, 2009

This season is full of fun and cheerIn the woods the sleigh is ready for its deer.In the Pines we had rain and sunshine.Are these presents all mine?

December 8, 2009

December 7, 2009

December 5, 2009

December 4, 2009

December 3, 2009

December 2, 2009

December 1, 2009

Walk with me.

"I am stand in awe of my body" ~THOREAU~

Cool Touch

This Morning I wept

Sensory Journey~ finding your way home with SoulCollage..coming soon!

Walk with me

Meaning

Classroom

Walk in the rain

Abundance

Poetry Man ~ Revision

And So The Journey Goes

Abbey of the Arts ~ Invitation to Poetry ~ MOMENTS

Touched by an Angel

MOTHER

Spiritual Conspiracy

Purpose

Summer's Magic

Mountain Blueberry

Walk

This season is full of fun and cheer
In the woods the sleigh is ready for its deer.
In the Pines we had rain and sunshine.
Are these presents all mine?