You have until midnight. I do hope you will join us. This poem is turning out AWESOME!
I really want to know WHAT HAS YOUR SOUL SUMMONED you to do?
Ways you can Participate:
* Contribute a stanza and post it to your blog and link it back to the original post. HERE.
* Contribute JUST A LINE OR A PHRASE YOU LIKE
* Tell one of your poet friends!
I devour your delightful words….
HERE’S The ORIGINAL POST TO COMMENT ON.
p.s. you get your own color!
Now, I get to tell you my favorite moment while I was in Texas interviewing my daddy.
As a prelude to readers who may not know the story, my daddy was a very VAULTED man. He never spoke any emotion. When he chatted on the phone, most conversations were short and spoke of two things, the weather and tractors and sometimes, fishing. But in the last two years, given time and nurturing, the vault has been slowly opening.
While I was in Texas, the vault opened and closed often. I never knew what day, what hour or even what minute my dad would choose to share. I made him my priority. I had some time with siblings, but even they knew my purpose for this trip was to spend time with him. One beautiful moment was when we got lost, Father’s Day Story.
THE BEST PART:
Twenty minutes before people came over for Father’s Day, my dad showed me a paper that had the AA Promise on it. I had seen the paper on the counter, but hadn’t really delved into it. It was brightly colored sunshine orange, and I briefly scanned it. Following intuition, I knew that my dad was showing me this paper for a reason, so I turned the video camera on it and started reading the promises out loud. I read through the entire document so I would have a recording of the paper in case he didn’t want me to have it. Again following my intuition, I was urged to ask him specific questions.
I asked dad what it meant to him when it asked “not to regret the past.” My dad sat back in his chair and began to tell me how the past was a teacher. Upon looking at my dad, he was relaxed and open and telling me straight up how he felt! I wanted to turn the video camera on him, but this action usually caused him to act goofy and uncomfortable and he would make funny faces instead of talking, so I left the camera focused downward so I could at least tape record his words.
On to the next questions: “No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.” Explain this section to me dad. My dad was really engrossed in speaking now and began talking with his hands, which I don’t remember seeing him do…but I use my hands a lot when talking and celebrated that I knew where it came from! Dad was settling in his chair, so I settled back in my chair and began lifting the camera focus up, but still not directly pointing it at dad. He hadn’t noticed too much and was still engrossed in conversation.
Finally, I slouched down in my chair a little more and faced the camera full on and began asking him more questions. Explain the fear you had of people dad? What about your fear of economic security?
My dad didn’t notice the camera because he was fully engaged in answering the question. He understood these questions like the back of his hand. He had lived these questions and knew that his very life depended on him living these principles.
“We suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.” I watched my daddy’s faith and convictions unfold. He had followed his intuition too and knew these promises were vital to keep. And because he kept these promises, we could talk today. I had never heard these promises full on before, though I had attended Al-Anon meetings many times. Someone had told me once that the AA principles weren’t really being used much any more, and many people questioned how much those principles actually helped people in the past. I can tell you from what I’ve witnessed, and that’s more than with my dad, these principles saved some lives and some families, and I’m grateful for them. We continued with our conversations, actually talking and breathing together. So raw. So real. So unpretentious. Me and my daddy.
Then a car pulled in the driveway and the spell was broken. But for these brief twenty minutes which will be a lifetime for me were very beautiful. And I remembered that it was because I was PRESENT in the moment and didn’t judge what happened or how it happened. And I fondly remember, it was just me and my daddy.
For two soulful friends and me. Thanks for the encouraging musings today!
Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions.
Small people always do that,
But the really great make you feel
that you too, can become great.
Mark Twain
You must always remember…
You are Braver than you believe,
Stronger than you seem,
And smarter than you think.
Christopher Robin
Welcome friends! Where has your soul summoned you?
I’d love to know what’s on your heart and let’s put
that goodness out to the universe!
This collaboration will be open until next Friday. Leave
me a comment, and I will add it to the poem. You get your very
own color!
If you want to just the anaphora for a separate entry, you can just link it back to this blog. I’m excited to hear your beautiful words!
Enjoy! Marie
A most lovely poet at Forgotten Meadows has started a collaborative poem trend, two of my favorite things, poetry and collaboration! So, in honor of her, and to see what juicy words come, here is my starting phrase: “My Soul is Summoned…”
Isn’t it a curious phrase? What is your soul summoned to do?
It will be open until next Friday, the 27th, and I will make sure your contribution is posted in the order it comes. I look forward to seeing your “magic.” And hearing what you are summoned to do.
Happy poeting…(yes, poetry is an action!)
My Soul is Summoned
My soul is summoned,
on barren lands,
in the middle of nowhere,
alone, it stands,
free.
My Soul Summons me to Peaceful surrounds, to Light without sounds, to Love
without Boundaries.
My soul is summoned to answer calls
Reverberating through subtle halls
Where mankind has dwelt for far too long
Deciding what is right and wrong.
Step outside, there is no quiz
Eternity just simply is.
My soul is summoned on wings to fly
High above an earthly sky
To take flight to a new world
A place with love, peace and flags unfurled
What will be there when you arrive?
Not for you to know, only to thrive.
Trust yourself and be off to explore
It is for you to love and nothing more.
My soul summon me through fire rise
cast ash greyed mystery disguised
walk no need to hide the eyes
what calls to see but cross the water
these pawmarks, mine,
and most of all, for this to know
that I am she, am this, forever soul
CONTRIBUTORS: Me, Forgotten Meadows, Booknvolume, Rob McShane, Phoenix Tears Healed
My week has been blessed with family and friends. Right now I am getting to spend time with my dear Kelci in Seattle to do the Rock and Roll. I used to run a lot more, and I loved the freeing feeling running gave to me. And when I finished, especially a half marathon, I was on a runner’s high remembering how it felt to overcome pain and steep hills and sometimes short of breath. I would push through and come out victorious! One day I got lost in the rain on a run because course had gotten washed away and I had lost the pack. My form was gone, and I had trashed my knees. Needless to say, I had caused some great damage and can’t run like I used to. However, the reminiscing makes me thankful for ever getting a chance to feel the sweetness and the freedom of the run.
But what I am most grateful for today is the opportunity to be out with my sweet Kelci and enjoying the day of walking and talking and hearing bands and seeing my cousins and friends be in their glorious moments and I will relish it and hold it in all its glory. Tomorrow is the big day, and I’m looking forward to it.
And besides, it’s FANTASTIC FRIDAY!!!!
Frog #1 – looked like a handsome prince. But no, total frog…hopped in more than one garden and sat on more than one lily pad.
Frog #2 – nope, not really a frog, more like a toad actually, warts and all…and they’re the kind of warts that keep on giving. Also hopped on more than one lily pad…forgot he was watching them little tadpoles.
Frog #3 – like a frog in boiling water, hoppin’ mad ALL THE TIME!
Frog #4 – Now we’re moving a little closer to a prince, saw a beautiful Frogilina in me…caught me flies, bought me a nice lily or 2 for my pad…but it was time for him to find a new pond and have his own little tadpoles.
Frog #5 – shiny green, a happy little ribbitt, made sweet music along with the crickets and the little tadpoles…liked MY pond, caught me flies…made the pond we had a better place…nope, not really a frog…totally a prince…and when the moon hit just right…ahhhh.
Now the tadpoles are grown, a glowing slimy green themselves and happily hopping in their own pond. Though our pond is a little quieter, it is still a sublime place to be.
Miles of smiles in this one…to you Joey, my love.
What qualifies a person to write another man’s story? For a life is not a life unless it is fully experienced and lived, and the writer can hardly capture the essence, let alone tell a full story.But the one who has done the living is a tired soul and his hands are feeble and in pain, and his heart has been in pieces and it’s difficult for him to sort out. And so it is that the writer must be the one to document whatever he/she can. For once a life goes, so do their libraries of stories.Two years ago, I felt the calling to get to know my dad when I walked in a Hallmark store and found a book called, “My Father’s Legacy.” In the book are “get to know you questions” about family history, not just dates, but celebrations and dreams and memories. There were so many questions I didn’t know the answer to for my family, even basic questions of family tree information. You see, I have always wanted to get to know dad, but his life and his feelings have always been vaulted with at least a hundred locks and a secret code. As I examined the book, I realized there was so much more I didn’t know, and the questions seemed simple enough. So I thought to myself, “Let’s give this a try.”I introduced the book to my dad and told him I’d like to document family history and some traditions for posterity. “Hey Dad, maybe I could ask you some questions?” Dad said, “I think that’d be all right.” When I would visit, I would ask a few questions and then I’d randomly call him and ask him some more. However, if the question became too personal, dad would quickly close up and withdraw and suddenly had to go “feed the critters” or eat, even if he just called me!The next step on our journey, my dad then began to accept that if the question was in the book, then it was legal, and I could ask it. It would make me giggle because he would look in the book to check if the question really was there. What this phase allowed me to do was gain his trust. He would feed me tidbits to see what I would do with the information. Because my intentions were honorable and how I handled his information was honorable, he began to trust me. From there, we could go a little deeper. There were times I would call, and he’d have to get through the roughness of his day, (Alzheimer’s has people living in fear and worry), and then I would get tidbits of information. Other days after finishing his stories he was just done and hung up. It was disappointing, but I knew it was part of the journey. Through patience and diligence and ears bleeding getting through the toughness of dealing with someone who is closed and stubborn and sadly going through mind games of his own, we began to forge a new relationship. He began to look forward to my calls and sometimes called me. The darkness was revealed less and less and the pep in his spirit was back.This week I got to visit him in Texas. I came prepared with a list of questions in various areas, because I never know what he will be open to answer. Needless to say, I didn’t get a lot of the prepared questions answered, but fortunate for me, I was open to the experience and whatever he had to offer me. Because of this, I was pleasantly surprised more than once.We went on an adventure to visit his hometown of Georgewest. He got lost, and I didn’t catch it because I had my head down taking notes…But the best part? GETTING LOST WAS A BEAUTIFUL THING. Because we were in the car seven lovely hours without phones or computers or people clamoring for his attention, we just got to laugh and be ourselves. Sometimes we didn’t talk at all. And we can’t forget the Dairy Queen! We both enjoyed our most favorite treat, icecream just like little kids!Daddy woke up the next day ready to take on the world. He even talked about feeling inspired to write. He said he had a dream that I didn’t just “come to Texas,” that I was “sent to Texas” to inspire him. I got a brilliant idea to create a feast for Father’s day. I used a sheet as a table cloth, because daddy didn’t one, and I picked flowers from his garden and put them in his favorite mason jars. It takes very little. And twenty minutes before people came over, daddy gave me the most real, the most honest that I have ever seen him. He was unafraid, and gave me the advice of a lifetime in regards to alcoholism…but I will save that for another time because it’s a most wonderful story all by itself.The trip wasn’t all peaches and roses, but it was time I treasured and got to know my daddy better. The focus was on being present and noticing. I will never know how much longer I have with him, so I embrace what I have. Smile your silly smile dad and enjoy.
LOVE you!!!
Writing Wings For You 