Krishanmurti & A Sketch

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.

-Krishanmurti


Sketch - drawn Spring 2009. It is a rare drawing to see eyes open.
I grapple with feeling pain, but remembering that I, too, have caused pain..."for all that is life."
My heart can't stay there too long. We climb back into the boat and float a wee bit further down this river of peace...the water of Now.

The First Good-Bye

It was a year ago today
I first said good-bye.
Tears resisted.
Tears flowed.
We continued to say farewell
for six months...
until...
you died in the room
I painted blue for you.

With my hand on your ankle
I could feel you fly away...
so far...
to the sweet, Far Away.

You are near...
leaving me...

so full of

LOVE.

Photo - scanned image from my vintage hankie collection.

High On The Mountain

Dance with me in the shadows of my soul
Play the game high on the mountain
where the sun dips below
and night comes
seeping in as a shawl of diamonds
on the shoulders of the weary

Sleep in my forgiveness
Listen with my Open ear
Let your words take a rest
on the earth
under that tree
over there

You cry on this paper
as you know the One has written
a message
on the back of your heart:
Come home.
Come home, my dear...come home.
PS - I will wait for you on the porch
in the sun
smiling
waiting
to take you in my arms


Artwork - marker and colored pencil, 2002.

Polar Bear Hug

I dreamed of a polar bear.

Sketch - a Post-It doodle, drawn
while waiting for papers to print.
And I really did dream of a polar bear.
I was a little frightened,
but I felt very safe and home-y.

Blanket O' Prayers

Grace Comes!

Through my

passionate, but

sometimes scared

and squirmy soul...

Graces Comes!

Rainy Morning

The clear bead at the center changes everything.

There is no edge to my loving now.

I've heard it said, there's a window

that opens from one mind to another.

But if there's no wall, there's no need

for fitting the window, or the latch.

-Rumi

Drawing - colored pencil on black paper, 2002.

Coloring In Dim Light

love to my brother
and the unexpected things
he shares with me

Coming Home

Stones would play inside her head
And where she slept,
They made her bed
And she would ache
For love and get but stones

Lordy, child
A good day's comin'
And I'll be there to let the sun in
And bein' lost
Is worth the comin' home

You and me, a time for planting
You and me, a harvest granting
The every prayer ever prayed
For just two wild flowers that grow

Neil Diamond, Stones


Artwork - Colored Pencil, 2003.

Meet Allison Grae

Allison.
She's my older sister.
I love her so...
Yesterday,
she tenderly
broke my heart.
Allie,
you can cry on my shoulder.



























































Meet HEATHER, my mama!
She has just joined the blogging world.
Her first post is about HUGS! What could be better?
Yay, Mom!

Kiss Me Good-Bye

At the bottom of my farewell,
I found a hundred more.

Take these tears into the kitchen
and drop them on the floor.

Never spoon feed your love, my dear;
you will choke on the leftovers.

Hold my hand at the edge of the table
and kiss me good-bye.

Sew the story's end to your pocket,
close to your heart,
far from your lips.
They don't want to Hear.

Dance. Love. Beautify.
They will watch you Live.

Wool felt "painting" - 2008, 6 x 8 inches.

Wool Felt Flower, Grace & Kindness

There is no gift so fine

as the conscious act of

Grace

and

Kindness.

-Francisco


Image: scanned copy of my wool felt embroidery from last night. I love wool felt, but haven't played with it for months! My French knots are wonky, stitches slightly caddywhompus, but that is why I like sewing...just for joy. Oh, and I am no purist; the back of my sewing is a jumbled, knotted mess.

Hafiz, A Sketch & Coloring Shared

Plant so that
your own heart
will grow.

Love so God will think,

"Ahhhhh, I got kin in that body.
I should start inviting that soul
over for coffee and rolls."

Sing
Because this is a food
Our starving world needs.

Laugh,
because that is
the purest sound.

-Hafiz, translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Drawing - pencil sketch drawn Saturday afternoon.
To my mama who reads, I say, "Look Mom, arms!!"
The Joy of Coloring continues...please click HERE to see what filled and warmed my heart yesterday!! The coloring page I shared was shared even further. I LOVE IT!

Love Love

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tiny Truths

Drawing - pencil sketch from 2003.

Hafiz & My Whale

The sky is a suspended blue ocean.
The stars are the fish that swim.

The planets are the white whales
I sometimes hitch a ride On,

The sun and all light have forever
fused themselves into my heart
and upon my skin.

There is only one rule on this Wild Playground,
every sign Hafiz has ever seen reads the same.

They all say,

"Have fun, my dear; my dear, have fun
in the Beloved's divine Game.
O, in the Beloved's Wonderful Game."

-Hafiz, translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Drawing -2.5 x 3.5 inches, oil pastel and colored pencil.
Last night, while waiting for a friend to arrive, I allowed myself a few minutes to play and "have fun." Oh, this Wild Playground! There is so much I don't understand, but I am having fun...

The Flood

The Flood came and drenched my soul
In His ink of water and love, God scrawled Beauty across my heart

Words picked carefully from my throat and placed on my tongue
Sufficiently patched for the ineffable
Enough

Anchor this belly of Knowing
Deplore if you must
Instead seek my Life and my Breath
This Flood I long to Live
Deep in the center


Drawing 2.5 x 3.5, pen.
Yesterday, as I scarfed down my breakfast, I laughed out loud in the moment I caught myself. Why was I in such a rush? Why am I trying so hard to impress God? 'Twas as if I am a little girl jumping up and down, waving my arms, shouting, "God! Look at me!! LOOK at me!! Tell me how cool I am! Look how busy I am! Busy...busy...busy...!"
I wish I could say I pulled myself Center and ate the rest of my breakfast in Mindfulness. I didn't. The eggs were still inhaled and dishes thrown in the sink. But I kept laughing at myself. It was the only thing that made sense at that moment.

Weaving Threads...

(A note added since my original post this morning.)

One word from my poem sparked a fire in Susan from the Whole Blooming World. Please experience her poetic storytelling HERE.

Gratitude

Glory Be

Sat Nam








FULL




Artwork - 2.5 x 3.5 inches, colored pencil.
Sat Nam - Truth.

Love, Rainbows & Unicorns

Plain and Simple...

I think today calls
for a wee bit of extra

LOVE

RAINBOWS

and

UNICORNS...

Photo - Taken just this morning as I let myself wander a moment to the old leather suitcase that holds some of my childhood treasures. I wore these buttons all the time from age 8 to 10. And yes...I will admit...I would sometimes wear them on my rainbow suspenders. What can I say? It was the early 80's.

Unravel...

Tiny
rippings,
dyings,
crashings,
tearings...

stitches undone.

Unravel this soul,

smooth...

in the palm of
your open hand.

Drawing - 2.5 x 3.5 inches, pen. Drawn this morning.

Coloring Result #3

Please check out Susan's coloring at The Whole Blooming World.
It is wonderful!
In my comment to her, I mentioned why I love coloring.
Then I shared a story of how I was teased by my siblings because of the way I colored Sonny Bono's arms red. (Guess I thought he would look good with a yellow face, too.)
Susan wished she could see it.
Well...here you go!!

Color BOLD!
Color JUICY!

Joyous Coloring Results...

Susan Keene from A Walk In The Park:
I love this! Thank you!


Join me in that place
beyond the edge
of what I know

where the sunny shade
meets the darkened light

the beauty...
the Glory...

Full.
Full, I am.
I am love.
Love.

The Great Friend

the

Great

Friend

has asked

us to play,

laugh,

heal and...

LOVE

Photo - I didn't want to say good-bye to the flower I wore in my hair, so I scanned it.

It never occured to me how much it would warm my heart to see the results of the coloring page I offered on yesterdays post. I loved Steve's coloring (aka Woodcutter) at The Wood Pile.

Please check it out! And I would love to see any other creations any of you are willing to share. Thank you!

A Couple of Things...

Over the past couple weeks I have shared

photos that I am a mess maker and a cookie baker.
I am a crayon lover, too.
I LOVE to color!
You can always find at least one box of crayons in my home.
Even if they aren't used, I keep them as a reminder of
the little things...the simple things.

Susan, aka Pollinatrix, of the Whole Blooming World,
was kind enough to include me in her latest blog post.
Thank you!
I know we both adore coloring,
as well as the color ORANGE.
My gift of gratitude is this coloring page.
(click the image and print from full size)

Lastly, my BIG GIRL PANTIES! I really do own a pair.
A friend gave me these a few years ago.
Tuesday, I mentioned Fear had arrived. I decided it could
stay so long as laughter still fit in the equation. It did.
To lighten my heart and make myself laugh in the dorkiest of ways,
I pulled up my big girl panties a little higher and took the photo.

I AM READY TO JUMP!!!

It Almost Sounded...

It almost sounded like a Sunday morning
when the air was cool
when the hand was held
and the song came from the back of the heart.

It almost sounded like a Sunday morning
when the shirt was pressed
and the hug was given.

It almost sounded like a Sunday morning
when the body was still
warm
sleeping...

It almost sounded like a Sunday morning
when the whisper arrived
when the Truth was told
and the laughter fixed everything...

breathing
heart flooding
with a touch
on the edge
near the curtain
of the sun
pulled back
for light
drawn full
for Love...
out the window
to the trunk
of the rooted tree
soul me
sky me
bury me deep...

when it almost sounded like a Sunday morning.

Drawing - 2.5 x 3.5 inches, colored pencil.
The line "it almost sounded like a Sunday morning" came from a friend. I took it and ran with it.

Hello Fear

"Ohhhhh...hello Fear...I knew you would arrive eventually.
You may stay a while...sing and dance with me but then you must go..."


Share the words that coat your soul

Find meaning in an afternoon of nothing

Be silly in the morning when the sun is deciding to rise

Laugh at your fear as it knocks on the door...disguised in a pretty dress.


Drawing - 2.5 x 3.5 inches, pen.
Drawn last night as an evil headache tried to get started.

A Monday of Deep Joy & Huge Tears

Open these threads...

Allow me to weave love and beauty

into this cloth I Love.

Take these threads...

Gently sew them to the edge of my waiting.

Bind these threads...tenderly

to the one who breaks my heart.

Drawing: 1.30.10 - 2.5 x 5.5 inches, pen.
Question: My black background and gray ink is sometimes hard on my own eyes, and a dear friend said she enjoys reading my posts but the colors kill here eyes. So, I am open to any feedback and suggestions any of you may have regarding this particular layout, colors and legibility of font choice. Thanks!