In meditation and writing, sometimes I become aware of words that seem like they are coming from a voiceless voice, something beyond my human self. Sometimes I just listen, and other times I write the words on paper or computer. In that form, they may become an offering that looks like a poem, a prayer, or a practice. Whatever you might call the form, I share these words as a gift as that’s how they felt to me when I received them.
Tuning to the Pulse of Love There is no greater doing than trusting in the universal flow of life and your connection to it. Trust your connection. Trust your intuition. Trust your embodied sense of timing. If doubt should ever enter your heart and mind, close your eyes and take three breaths. With the first breath, drop your awareness into your heart space and feel the pulse of love inside your own being. With the second breath, expand your awareness to every cell of your body, attuning each cell to the heart’s pulse of love. With the third breath, expand awareness in a 360-degree sphere out to heart of the cosmos, feeling the alignment of the cosmic pulse with your own.
My friend and extraordinary sound artist, Orlando Villarraga, created this recording of my voice and his music. Orlando and I will be working together in the coming months to create an album version of my book, Within My Illusions, that will offer a journey through soundscapes that he will craft to complement the emotions, ideas, and stories expressed in my poetry. I'm excited for the collaborative process and look forward to sharing updates and samples with you as it unfolds in 2022.
But first, I'm going to slow down, embrace the darkness of this season, and take an extended timeout to reflect on the year. Next Sunday will be my last email of 2021. I'll be back sometime in January. I haven't decided which week yet. My idea for Sunday Poetry Timeout emails in 2022 is to pull one card a week from my Artwise Poetry Roulette Card deck, read the poem on video, and perhaps offer a reflection. If you'd like a set of cards for yourself or to share as a gift, our online store will be open until December 21 and then will go "on vacation" until January.
With love,
Jennifer
p.s. While you're in SoundCloud, you can tune into to meditations and practices recorded by some of the brilliant and inspiring Garrison Institute Fellows with whom I work.
p.p.s. A friend sent us this image of the Artwise Poetry Roulette Cards that she received this week with the message, "How's a gal supposed to work now? All I want to do is read them and look at them!" Perhaps we need to add a warning label: May spark delight and playful heart opening 😉.
