Category: Poetry
-
portable silence: tethering to goodness
“…silence is above all a quality of the heart that can stay with us even in our conversations with others. It is a portable cell that we carry with us wherever we go. From it we speak to those in need and to it we return after our words have borne fruit.”—The Way of the…
-
this is why it hurts
on belonging, fragmentation, and integration: a pondering, a poem, & a practice “If contemplation is about penetrating illusion and touching reality, why do we commiserate with others when they tell us about an experience that’s ‘disillusioned’ them? ‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ we’ll say. ‘Please, let me comfort you.’ Surely it would be better to say,…
-
mallard in the middle [depression in the group chat]
/ mallard in the middle [depression in the group chat] The mallard in the middlegets all the good sleep.Seven ducks slept in a rowa few yards from the creek near our house,conspicuous as a red balloonfloating in a blue sky.They looked so vulnerableuntil I learnedthey can allow half their brain to sleepwhile the other half…
-
for the women
Happy Women’s History Month and happy International Women’s Day! This is a poem I wrote a few years ago. Ladies, this is for you, for me, for us: for the womenA social media post that went viralasked women what they would doif there were no men on the planetfor 24 hours.The answers would make you…
-
lessons from a cormorant
Lessons from a CormorantI’ve been taking lessonsfrom a cormorantat the creek near my house.Driven by her hunger,she dives deep, deep,below the surface.Today I saw her standingfor a long, long time,wings outstretched,and I wondered why she would dothis vulnerable thing.She seemed to be drying her wings,but that seemed absurd to me—a waterfowl whose wingsget waterlogged?I learned…
-
contemplative book recommendations
Over and over, people I meet with in spiritual direction have said how much they love the readings I share in our sessions. The words of these gifted writers and prophets help us begin with a centering moment as we transition to a more contemplative space. They give me words of blessing to speak over…
-
How to Prepare for the End of the World
How to Prepare for the End of the WorldListen.Come close.This is what we must do:Listen to the wind in the leaves,swaying Here and Thereas the trunk remains rooted.Come close enough to identify the spotted orbweaver.Observe her working steadilyat her silent task,which you may only see this time of year.Watch her drop down a barely visible…
-
Ash Wednesday Valentine
Some days Some days Some days… I go for a walk Just to listen for the poetry that surrounds me. If I listen closely, I hear the poetry that you’re speaking. I talked to a stranger as we beheld together a perfect cloudless blue sky— even saw two butterflies, though it’s winter. Tell that to…
-
fear is (not) a liar
Fear is (not) a liarBy Lindsay L. O’ConnorI used to try to divorce myself from inconvenient feelingsthat seemed to:- stand in the way of my goals- threaten my connection with people I loved or depended on- make me uncomfortable.Those poor dears!They cowered in the dark, shoved down, covered up,sealed tight by shame, guilt, and anxiety.Do…
Lindsay L. O'Connor 