#MicroPoetry|May ’18 Reflections

“A simple thank you is all it takes …”

I have heard this phrase shared in various ways from differing contexts and cultures. The idea (or perhaps more succinctly the practice/discipline) of gratitude, as a way to unlock people to see one another’s humanity seems to share a consistent reminder regardless of where we might call home. This musing attempts to play with that simplicity in the structure of a #MicroPoetry #Verse.

Sometimes wonder is reduced to an individual’s experience. Though this is certainly one way wonder is experience, I have found it is when it is shared, whether through story, art or in the actual moment, it takes on a heightened sense, which some might call awe. When that common frame of reference exists, then appreciation, as a way of seeing the world, can become a touchstone between people. This verse explores wonder, splendour and appreciation as connected to one another and, in turn, us

Life and the dance floor – it’s certainly not a new metaphor. I have used it when facilitating workshops, where the dance floor is used to represent the practical learning and the balcony the theoretical or academic. What struck me as this poetry was percolating, however, is the dance floor not as metaphor for life as goal driven, but as a place to let go and simply Be. The image of a disco ball being held a loft seemed to add to the learning such playfulness invites.

There are so many reasons to be distracted by conflict and violence. This constant message of fear that we hear can make the act of being love seem trite, wishful and even naïve. In this verse, I am trying to both remind and embolden. Being love is a discipline that fosters confidence and calmness in the midst of strife. Being this way in the world, however, takes commitment and support. I hope this #Verse makes space to see the gift in the tension of the work that is this greatest of calls.

We have all heard the idea of “random acts of kindness.” Though I have always appreciated the intention of the idea (or movement) the term random can diminish the reality that being this way is in no way random. It is a way of choosing to be in the world. From this position, kindness becomes a way to liberate others to shine by these acts of care. Here, I am exploring the connexion of kindness with potential, grace and prayer.

I have found time sort of disappears when watching feathered flight. Whether the grace of an eagle on high or pelicans riding just above water’s current, there is a beauty that inspires. Recalling these images and considering the image that in each of us an angel lies, this poetry tries to play with those two ideas in a way that reminds us that our choices shape the world we see …

Writing about Love is indeed a lifetime’s task. It is so nuanced and – dare I say – limitless in respect to what can be said. As a noun, verb, adverb or adjective it is a word that is central to the Christian tradition. Owing to this breadth of possibility every time one tries to say something about it, it is easy to forget that language automatically limits or bounds meaning. That having been said, in this verse, I am attempting to explore Love as a noun that cannot have its meaning fixed.

In this world, in which deficit thinking too often monopolises the air waves, so to speak, I love the idea that we possess so much that there is not enough time in one lifetime to return them to the world fully. In verse, I am exploring what it might look like if we did not seek validation externally and recognised that in each of us there is something no one else has or can do. That each of possesses a unique skill or orientation that, when intentionally developed, is not about me or you, but us. If we find and recognise that spark, what might it look like if we harnessed it and gave back so others too might shine?

The Poet is a reoccurring character in my #MicroPpoetry. She represents that Holy’s presence in our life and the reminder that we are all connected to something much larger than ourselves. This connexion in not one way nor individual. It threads us together with real potential and possibility that is often only limited by that which we can imagine. The idea of nurture, therefore, does not imply fate or control, but I hope illustrates that possibility that our choices make as we aspire to live into a life that is rich and gives back to the world so that all may thrive.

One of the songs of my growing up – “Life is a Highway” – is a tune that often repeats itself. I hear it here and there and suddenly the metaphor of a road trip for life’s unfolding emerges. The idea of such a drive is often not about returning, but exploring. Taking what was best on the journey and bringing it into new experiences is that sort of mingling point where experience and life discover wisdom. This verse explores the road trip as such a metaphor for our life’s wandering.

I have mused previously about the manner in which we see and understand the world around us. In particular, the idea of where we place our attention is what we will see. Whether hope of struggle, deficit or abundance, these are just examples of how we reveal reality. Here I am exploring what happens when we do this collectively. Whether as a family or a community of faith, a city of nation, where we corporately spend time ‘looking’ is what we will end up seeing. I wonder, therefore, what it might look like if we began with seeing ourselves and one another as irreplaceable gifts.

It is more than a metaphor that we are made of stars. When we recognise that science and faith connect, I am left wonder-filled. Having even an inkling of the immensity of space and time is awe-some and humbling. If each of us is an aspect of the universe, even in our own awareness, what might it mean if we shared that small knowing. What might it mean if we expand this more-than-metaphor appreciation not to just humanity, but all of creation? This poetry plays with that idea and invites us to consider what such recognition might mean.