Category: Poetic PEACE Pilgrimage

Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 8 – Day 117 – 4/12/2021

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“But most important, we love the water. Every year, our people sacrifice. We go four days without drinking water, so that it reminds us how important this water is. And I ask everybody: Do you go four days without water? What happens to your body on that third day? Your body starts shutting down. So, we remind ourselves every day how important. We say mni wiconi, water of life. Every time we drink water, we say mni wiconi, water of life. We cannot live without water. So I don’t understand why America doesn’t understand how important water is. So we have no choice. We have to stand. No matter what happens, we have to stand to save the water.”

~ Ta Maka Waste Win, Her Good Earth Woman ~ (LaDonna Brave Bull Allard)

i learned today of the death of a being of astonishing light,Her Good Earth Woman, Standing Rock tribal historian, who died of cancer at the age of 64… co-founding the Sacred Stone Camp on her family’s Standing Rock land in April 2016 to resist the Dakota Access pipeline, people from around the world traveled there making it one of the largest gatherings of Indigenous peoples in a century… let’s listen to more of the wisdom from this elder who inspired the world…

“I told Dakota Access that if I’m the only person standing, I’m standing. They will not build this pipeline. I have personal reasons, though, you know? You know, my son is buried there. And I’m just a mom. But in my mind, I can’t conceive anybody to build a pipeline next to my son’s grave. So, like I tell everybody, it’s not some grandiose “save the world.” It’s just a mom. So, that’s just on my personal side. But did you see where I live? Oh my god, it is so beautiful. I mean, every day the buffalo are out there. The eagles are out there. I love my river…

I tell people that this is not about just this pipeline. It’s about the water. It’s about the water. It’s about having the right to live our lives. It’s about being able to make sure my grandchildren has clean water. To me, it’s just like common sense. And so, we must — we must stop this…

We are fulfilling prophesy now. The prophesies our people told a hundred years ago are coming to pass. I see them before my eyes. Nothing is going to go back. We can only change. My whole idea is to have the world change their worldview, that maybe we can live with the Earth instead of destroying the Earth. And I’m hoping that all people can get that message…”

may Her Good Earth Woman’s dream, the prophecy of the black snake (oil pipeline) and her teachings to love the land and water be fulfilled…

Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 8 – Day 116 – 4/11/2021

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what a potent day with the new moon in aries, the first of the astrological new year, this moon of purifying fire that rekindles true life force calling us into fierce love and sowing our genius seed(s) after bravely entering the watery womb space of the inner cave where we courageously look inside and listen for the soul song leading us to where we are to be…

so many images i’d love to share on this new moon and day of celebrating the astonishing light of being… i’m choosing this one as i’ve spent the day here metaphorically in the cave of the magician, a sacred place where i was physically six years ago thanks to miracles and synchronicities flowing and landing me in this place i’d dreamed of as a child while swimming in the ocean across the way…

today, the lunar tides have brought me home to this dream cave i re-member so well where we mermaids sunned on the stone people, danced as dolphins and chanted beloved’s songs of the sea of love energy calling all who could hear to enter this heart portal to manifest and live the dream seeds needed in this moment of eternity…

i’d love your joining me now in fanning the flames and using the fire of this new moon to cleanse and purify while resounding this invocation…

we bow to you, Great Fire,
you who calls us to come and sit, to rest and listen.

as the fires blaze orange to red to blue and to white,
our vision begins to blur and we are pulled into your depths…
here, we lose our protective selves and enter the realms of soul ignition…

with the crackle of your flames, we experience oneness
reveling in your power and glory, your ability to unite and your gifts of cleansing and purification…

here we are with you and into your embrace, we cast our worries, toss our fears and incinerate anxiety…

thank you, Great Fire.
through your Love, we all regenerate and thrive…
and so it is, blessed be…

Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 8 – Day 115 – 4/10/2021

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today, on the magical mystery tour, i delight in being in a house of mirrors, beautiful mirrors as i look into your soul and see such radiance… thank you for being such a profound reflection of our true nature… your lovingkindness, compassion, generosity, grace, luminescence, humor, sensitivity, presence, devotion, joy, peace, patience, passion, curiosity and on and on enrich and inspire me in every moment… thousandfold thanks and deep bows…

adventurous april is national poetry month and on this 10th day while reflecting on the sacred mirrors, let’s also tune into outer and inner birds  flocking around reminding us to be openhearted and free  and singing a joyful song, re-joy-sing…

“may my heart always be open to little
birds who are the secrets of living
whatever they sing is better than to know
and if men should not hear them men are old

may my mind stroll about hungry
and fearless and thirsty and supple
and even if it’s sunday may i be wrong
for whenever men are right they are not young

and may myself do nothing usefully
and love yourself so more than truly
there’s never been quite such a fool who could fail
pulling all the sky over him with one smile”

~ e.e. cummings ~

may we travel in a  sacred way reflecting our true nature of lovingkindness, compassion, peace and joy…

Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 8 – Day 114 – 4/9/2021

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 in the midst of these unprecedented times of so much suffering as we are all thrown into the whirlwind of mutation, a soul song of joy quietly sings me and breathes me whispering of our dying to what doesn’t serve, to what has been corrupted and to open space for innocence, the inner sense of joy to rise again, to see through the fresh eyes of a child beholding the world as a wilder-ness of wonder…

how joyous it is to celebrate this act of rebellious spirit, of being reborn, of being in the world but not of the world, of being in this great turning together and awakening more and more into the heart knowing that we are beloved community, we interbe…

in this moment, this beautiful moment of eternity where we can choose to dwell no matter what is happening in the outer world, let us attune to, get in tune with the river of joy always flowing through us to the tune of may our hearts be softened, may our minds be purified, may our words be more tenderly spoken, may our thoughts extend love to every living thing, may our actions be a blessing unto the world, may our souls shine and may we be continually humbled, grounded in and saturated with wave after wave of transforming love and grace bringing greater comfort and understanding to every sentient being who desires it… may we move more deeply into beloved’s embrace now so that we may be consouled as one… let us seal this re-joy-sing in the revolutionary energy of joy, love and peace passing all understanding and landing us in the sheltering energy of great mystery…

loving our walking home and serving in joy together…

namaste and deep bows, beloveds…

Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 8 – Day 113 – 4/8/2021

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today is a walk of witnessing awakening as loving kindness, the miracle of  walking on the earth dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling boundless love and gratitude, of simply surrendering with each step, with each breath into the unknown, into the new beginning that’s been quietly forming with every thought, word and deed, with every intention aligned with our soul, the courageous leap of faith that opens the portal to the pathless path with heart, the path we sign up for on this island home…

come, stand in love for love with me in the center of being where we dream the new story, where singing waters hum in harmony bathing the new world lovingly, peacefully, joyfully, beautifully, where we build beloved community in the new jerusalem of stillness… behold, graceland!

now is the moment for inner awakening, for listening for the call of  soul, the whispers of our one heart encouraging our slowing down, to come home and tend the garden of our genius, the spark of light, the inner flame that is eternal and immortal, the dream that will never die…. yes, may we be instruments of  peace built on justice guided by love, hollow reeds of flowing lovingkindness…

Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 8 – Day 112 – 4/7/2021

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the last few days have been so overflowing in beauty, this moment calls for resting in the deep song, el canto hondo, wherever we are… join me in sacred flowing space lulled by the words of Thay,  beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh…

Resting in the River Meditation

“My dear friends, suppose someone is holding a pebble and throws it in the air and the pebble begins to fall down into a river. After the pebble touches the surface of the water, it allows itself to sink slowly into the river.

It will reach the bed of the river without any effort. Once the pebble is at the bottom of the river, it continues to rest. It allows the water to pass by.

I think the pebble reaches the bed of the river by the shortest path because it allows itself to fall without making any effort. During our sitting meditation we can allow ourselves to rest like a pebble. We can allow ourselves to sink naturally without effort to the position of sitting, the position of resting.

The Buddha said, “My practice is the practice of non-practice.” That means a lot. Give up all struggle. Allow yourself to be, to rest.

Let us visualize the waves on the ocean, several waves appearing on the surface of the ocean. Some waves are big, there are those that are small, and each wave seems to have its own life.

…if the wave is able to bend down and touch the water within herself, it will realize that while it is a wave, it is at the same time water. Water is the foundation of the wave. While waves can be high and low, more and less beautiful, the water is free from all these notions. That is why if we are able to touch the foundation of our being, we can release our fear and our suffering.

Touching the foundation of our being means touching nirvana. Our foundation is not subjected to birth and death, being and non-being. A wave can live the life of a wave, but a wave can do much better than that. While living the life of a wave, a wave can live a life of the water. The more our solidity and our freedom grows, the deeper we touch the ground of our own being. That is the door for emancipation, for the greatest relief.”

~

may we all rest in the deep river living the life of water in the devocean of interbeing…

Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 8 – Day 111 – 4/6/2021

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while still in the glow of a season of peace and having spent some 20 hours of the last 2 days contemplating a movement for truth and justice, i’ll wait until tomorrow to honor and celebrate the birthday of two of my favorite beings and celebrate once more one of the great human rights leaders of all time who called for a radical re-imagining of society calling forth our better angels to go deeply into the valley of the shadow of militarism, poverty and racism and to act boldly to end these pestilences…

the night before he was murdered, MLK gave one of his  most prophetic speeches known as the Mountaintop Sermon which called us to action, a call  that today all over the world we are awakening to with the…

“Poor People’s Campaign – A National Call for Moral Revival”

there is no turning back now for now is the moment for us to do as Brother Martin asked…

‘Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world.’

here is the MLK50 Pledge… thank you for joining me in this call to peace and action and for making every moment a moment of peace and justice…

“ ‘No Justice, No peace;
Know Justice, Know Peace’
is our rallying cry.

On this day, we, in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. call for peace. A peace that is more than the absence of war. We call for a just peace. A peace where all humans have the rights of security, prosperity, good and free education, accessible and plentiful food, clean water and a planet free from disastrous pollution to calamitous climate change.

We call for a just peace. A peace where people are able to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence. A peace committed to understanding, celebrating and learning from difference. A peace grounded in what Dr. King called the Beloved Community.

It takes more than words to bring about peace. It takes action. Action that decreases hostility between people and actions that promote trust so that our words have meaning. Action, must occur within a vision.

We call on ALL people to imagine a world without poverty, hunger and homelessness. Imagine a world where we reject racist ideologies and replace them with an all-inclusive spirit of love for ALL people. Imagine a world where we resolve disputes by peaceful conflict-resolution and true reconciliation. Imagine a world, where love and justice triumph.

‘No Justice, No peace;
Know Justice, Know Peace’
is our rallying cry.

But, it will take more than vision to bring peace. We must face the injustices of the past and acknowledge the injustices of the present no matter how painful. This means we must find a way to talk WITH each other instead of AT each other. It will take all of us searching deep within our own souls, taking what some call the ‘inward journey of self-reflection.’

It will take all of us to name those things we would rather hide-those things that stop us from being our better selves. We must not only name them, but also begin the process of purging those things that stifle our growth and the growth of others. This will lead us to form and develop communities of understanding that will walk, talk and stand with us. It is in this spirit-with humility and mutuality-that we will come together with one another and build a community of peace and goodwill for all humankind.

‘No Justice, No peace;
Know Justice, Know Peace’
is our rallying cry.”

Contributed by:
Assistant Professor Andre E. Johnson,
Department of Communications,
University of Memphis

may we all stand hand in hand in love for love filled with the light of divine grace to peacefully serve the world… may we know justice and peace and build communities of understanding real-eye-sing we belong to each other…

Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 8 – Day 110 – 4/5/2021

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A GENEROUS HEART IS ALWAYS OPEN, ALWAYS READY TO RECEIVE OUR GOING AND COMING. IN THE MIDST OF SUCH LOVE WE NEED NEVER FEAR ABANDONMENT. THIS IS THE MOST PRECIOUS GIFT TRUE LOVE OFFERS – THE EXPERIENCE OF KNOWING WE ALWAYS BELONG.

– BELL HOOKS –

well come, well come, well come to Easter Monday, a day that is often a day of great awakening for me as it is today and is doubly blessed by being the day of the Golden Rule, a day for all our relatives, beginning with ourselves, to treat each other as we want to be treated… on this day and every day, may we interbe real-eye-sing our exquisite interconnectedness and interdependency as one body/many cells and live lovingkindness and compassion with every breath… speaking of which, many have renamed the corona virus, the karuna (compassion) virus and may it be so on this day the UN has formally declared as an international day of conscience when we are all called to shine the astonishing light of our being…

“A century has passed since the end of World War I, as well as seven decades since the end of World War II; the devastation of war deepens people’s aspirations for peace. Humanity’s pursuit of peace has never stopped, yet the world remains tumultuous.

Interdependent and interconnected, all world citizens are encouraged to face international and national crises with compassion, bravery, and genuine wisdom as they actively seek peace and harmony as well as multi-win plans to benefit Mother Earth and all people.

Love and peace advance the well-being of the people of the world, and they are the most important cornerstones of global sustainability. All world citizens are encouraged to nurture love in their hearts to strike a balance in the enhancement of economic, social, cultural, spiritual, technological, and educational development.

Conscience is the wellspring of love; it is essential to awaken world citizens’ conscience to promote love, tolerance, acceptance, and care among people, thus enhancing friendships, family bonds, and international relationships, which facilitates a united world, where all people work together for the common good.

An excellent culture is the foundation of a quality education, which is essential for sustainable economic development. Countries are encouraged to promote a culture of conscience and incorporate the best aspects of other cultures and education systems to improve national economies.

When the majority of people follow their conscience and dedicate themselves to spreading love, fostering coexistence regardless of differences, using wisdom to resolve conflicts, and inspiring others to act similarly, the world can achieve peace.”

n this moment, this wild and precious moment of eternity, may we treat others from the spaciousness of a noble heart re-membering…

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

~ 1 Corinthian 13:4-8 ~

treat each other well for we each have the divine soul spark of great spirit within and we belong to each other all enfolded into the holy vessel of our one cosmic heart…

Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 8 – Day 108 – 4/3/2021

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here, at the crossroads we stand in the confluence, the sacred space of flowing together…

welcome, well come to day 64 of a season of peace which falls on this betwixt and between day in the liminal space between death and rebirth comforted by the inner experience of always being held in divine mystery…

  in the very instant of surrendering to the whirlwind of life, we are transmuted into whirling rhythm… and in that moment,that long drawn-out moment, the world cracks wide open and thanksgiving sings us for an abundance of blessings…

for our awakening to earth’s energy re-membering we are one heart…
for our awakening to earth’s oceans as our clean-sing tears…
for our awakening to earth’s wind as our enlivening breath…
for our awakening to earth’s landscape as our one body…

for our one heart opening dormant seeds…
for our tears filling rain clouds…
for our breath giving flight to migrating birds…
for our one body being an island of refuge…

for earth mother receiving our one heart for her energy…
for earth mother receiving our tears for her oceans…
for earth mother receiving our breath for her wind…
for earth mother receiving our body for her landscape…

for earth mother opening dormant seeds…
for earth mother filling rain clouds…
for earth mother giving flight to migrating birds…
for earth mother nurturing our islands of refuge…

and, for the cycles of life flowing unceasingly…

Poetic Peace Pilgrimage – Year 8 – Day 107 – 4/2/2021

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Nobody who finds himself on the road to wholeness can escape that characteristic suspension which is the meaning of crucifixion. For he will infallibly run into things that thwart and “cross” him…

~ CG Jung ~

~

today, as many of us across the globe honor this day as Good Friday, a (w)holy day in (w)holy week, i contemplate what crucifixion means and where it leads… i find this Jung quotation about being on the road to (w)holeness necessitating crucifixion so right on for on each of our paths, aren’t we led daily to the cross roads where we are given the choice to dissolve into and serve our greater self who responds in kind with wholeheartedly entering the human realm? isn’t this cross the true cross, the sacred stillpoint in the tiny space of the heart where every dance begins, where we real-eyes the gift of our suffering, of our bearing whatever is with grace, is what leads to the deepest peace of the flowing river of joy?

deep peace of the running wave be unto you…