Breathing Pink

Sitting now, you hear the wind,

the old past blowing

the new times coming.

Ring the bells, release the old,

use your talents and your hours

sharing simple words from us,

as you listen to

the songs we are singing you.

Lighter, lighter

brighter, brighter,

clearer nearer,

more to hear,

much more coming, becoming clear.

Release, surrender

start your new,

inside out and surely true.

We’re always growing,

it’s only change,

we are here to grow and re-arrange

anything which no longer serves us

releasing softly,

life supports us.

Breathing pink, glorious pink,

with breath after breath of pinking-in

your life will brighten,

as the clouds go and seeing pink will truly show

that all around, above, below

angel smiles have a heavenly glow.

Seeing The Flower

Tree-Mallow Flower

I found this little flower
and followed the training of 'Memory Culture'
by just painting quickly 
with my brushes
there on the paper
was a three minute view
of my looking through 
'the look' 
to really 'see'
what was there in front of me.

William Walker Atkinson
published a little book in 1903
which leads the reader to perceive
more with the eye than normally.
He says that "the majority
of people 'look at' rather than 'see' things"
so I decided to bring
to you, my first quick painting.

(I love this little red book called "Memory Culture", published in 1903 by The Psychic Research Company, Chicago,  Illinois, USA. Most likely the book is Out Of Print.)

Looking

The Garden Seat

The Lichen on the Timber Seat

The Lichen Forest growing on the Timber

Looking at the garden seat
at the timber
at the lichen seated on the timber
at the forest in the lichen.
Whatever else will I see
if I look closely
at all there is in front of me.

When there is a wider picture
let me look within the frame
and then I will look again
to find there's more
than I was looking for
and what beauty
there is to see
when I look closely
to the essence
there will be
all the blessings.

Lichen leads us
into the light
to leave the darkness
and see what's bright.

Seeing The Essence

I like leaves and lichen

the bark of trees

watching bees and if you please

picnicking with just an apple

while I am sitting on a grassy knoll

and resting briefly from the stroll

through the forest, or on the trail

what I see in front of me

is the treasure of the find

feather, pebble or photograph

and now I have been told

to bring my little sketchbook too

as a simple drawing

becomes my breakthrough

into storing

memories

if you please.

I say ‘if you please’,

as I feel I need helpers to

teach me drawing

so that I will do

something worth showing you.

But that is not what I need

never worry about the others

draw for nature and all the Devas

bring your gentle eyes to see

all that is hidden generally

from those who rush through life

and miss the lichen or the feathers

never, ever, looking down

at a close-up study of what’s around.

We think every grain of sand

is the same as every other

but is it so, I do wonder.

Every leaf is not the same

and every feather knows it came

from it’s own bird, passing by

and the pattern there does not lie.

Each feather landed where it is

as things come from where they Be

and finding them is a treat

and drawing them helps you see.

Draw anything and do it quickly,

or look closely

and then look away

and use your memory to display

a little image of how it was

in the instant of the sketch,

and if it looks not like what others see

that does not matter materially

as the exercise is to observe

and with your eye

perceive what’s new

not to the object, but to your view.

Every way we look at things

brings us something to begin

to understand a different way

and a close-up from a study

simplifies what the eyes do see,

as it has detail with every view

so sketch the essence coming through.

Look at life and yourself

see what’s new, that always was,

and see how you

can look right through

to the essence of the moment,

what is it here to show,

what do you See

what do you know.

Will you ever be your Self,

is your essence in the heart of you

what others see, or what you do.

Will you ever be yourself

will you just simply Be

who you are for all to see.

Oh, what joy we all would feel

if we were true

and looked the same in every sketch

just a simple Being

with a certain smile

and all the day and every-while

we know we are loved

and we simply follow all the signs along our path

to live in clarity and live with heart.

So I will take my sketchbook now

and look for me

and see just how I picture in the pencil view,

will I paint myself in iridescent hues.

Whatever way I live my day

may it be in truth and light

with some play and honesty,

may nature spirits dance with me.

(Written on the Autumn Equinox, March 21, 2014)

A Story of Serendipity

Smiley

Yes life is changing now

a ‘woolly fella’ has followed me

and now he’s here

most happily

in a welcoming home with love and fun

and children playing,

bushland walks and gardens to explore,

he certainly asks for nothing more.

I had just driven back from interstate,

journeying with my Poppy’s Spirit,

visiting ‘our oval’ and every wetland along the way

in remembrance of her each driving day.

Then I was home again

and I yearned to nurture an animal friend,

when I heard Spirit calling

in the middle of the day

“look for him, you both need play.”

Following the call………

I was keen to ‘up and go’

to see what Spirit had to show,

so off I went ‘in the flow’.

There is much serendipity

in my daily life

and I am so grateful how he came to be,

how I left my desk immediately

and drove quite far

to where he was,

just arriving,

at the animal shelter,

so as I got there

he was wondering what and where?

Perhaps, I thought I was guided there

to maybe walk a Foxy-cross,

who was ‘on hold’, for someone else.

But, we were there to meet each other

as he was like a forlorn child,

being cuddled by a volunteer

and ‘surrendered’ there

for adoption

‘I saw him’ and took that option.

So, instead I walked this small dog down the track

and neither of us will ever look back.

Straight away,

he’s in my car, riding home,

I give him a happier name

so now he’s “Smiley”, with a soft lick-lick,

sturdy and gentle,

just shadowing me,

“there is no order of difficulty

in miracles”.

I am happy to share my comfort and Love,

a peaceful home for both of us

and contentment in our unity,

we are where we are

and we are meant to Be.

 

This happy story is about being open to an opportunity, without any expectation of how the miracle will be presented to me.

And it unfolded and happened with very much spontaneity.

And indeed serendipity.

Believe it or not, several years ago, when Poppy and I were journeying the same interstate route and I was learning acoustic guitar, at every ‘off-road stop’, I found a guitar pick!!!!!!! Astounding and I was just so very amazed……………

Along the highway, I found a guitar pick on the grass, at the oval, in a very small country town. That was a Bart Simpson pick!!!

Two hours later I found a dirty orange pick on the bitumen at a roadhouse. It was looking like it had been run over, but I was delighted to find it!!! 

Then over the border, several more hours later, I was walking Poppy through the wetlands, and there on the sand, was a dull black USA guitar pick, with a fading,embossed walking tortoise on it.!!   Yes Truly.

At the time I had my Nashville guitar, in the car, but I was feeling that it would be a long haul, before I would ever come to play the songs I liked. These three signs inspired me to continue the learning, to follow my yearning.

It is now four years after the pick discoveries. On this interstate trip, I stopped at the same sentimental, off road, doggy walk places with a prayer in my heart and an openness to finding another pilgrim dog friend?

The ‘spirit signs’ of a coming miracle, came not with guitar picks, but with feathers. A variety of feathers, one in each place I stopped for a roadside rest. Some were at the same highway places I always visit!!!!

“There is no order of difficulties in miracles” A Course In Miracles

For All My Dogs Gone Before

Tyke and Shiloh in his Summer Coat

For all my dogs gone before

I love you each as much

as all the days we did explore

with all about us ever changing

but still the constant love remaining.

For Timmy 1, Timmy 2 and 3

for our sorrowful loss

as each of you went suddenly,

Then through the tears

I played with Chips

and the little stray we called Lick-Lick.

Finally, my brother and I bought a one dollar pup,

a loyal hero called Cobber,

he totally bonded with my Dad

and that is the best life our dog could have.

So there were Fox Terriers and the Border Collie,

and later in my family

a friendly Sheltie pedigree.

Tyke lived a long and traumatic life,

with all that hair in the hot north west ,

the bull-ants nest,

then stung by a swarm of bees,

stolen in a capital city, so lost for three long weeks.

Finally found by nurses, near a railway line

and thankfully nurtured back to health,

the inquisitive Shetland Sheepdog with his active life

after all the trials he’d seen

he lived until he was sixteen.

I would always seek to pat a ‘Wally’

as I dwelled in rental property

where no pet dogs lived with me.

Then I went to reside in the countryside.

I adopted Shiloh the Afghan Hound,

who came when he was nine

sharing gentle years until he died.

Then I was adopting dogs who needed care

and I was willing to share

my heart with each of them

until the breeding greyhound found me

and we were happy as can be

but she, was only lent to me.

There is a story with enormous spirit

and one day I will bring you to it…

with those tears I have cried

there is always Simba by my side

and the Angus steers that were

running with her

but they could not keep up the pace

as she took off on a rabbit chase.

Then joy and sorrow so intense

the grief I still feel today

very deep inside my cells

the saddest story I could tell.

The steers were there on the next day

when I walked back down the bush track

carrying flowers for her,

and sobbing loudly in my grief

until the steers came to the fence

and walked along all the way

until we came to the grassy spot

where I stood there

and they held their heads over the fence

and leant to me, big bulls indeed,

they very clearly felt my need.

Later I adopted a young retired greyhound

who had led a stressful life

and she settled quietly with me

and I simply called her Lovely.

For every friend I loved and lost

I planted flowers and shrubbery,

I created dog tag jewelry,

With all the farewell partings

still some sadness deeply dwells

weeping, weeping, fills the wells.

Eventually I bought a smaller breed,

a little greyhound without fear

of fireworks or thunderstorms

and she became my longtime friend

with a most remarkable bond

so deeply loving and  further along.

You will notice my writings for her

on many pages since September,

my dearest friend I will remember.

With all my dogs I have always loved,

there have been signs that drew me to them

and the love has always been

to the deepest heart,  and the warmest spirit

and the unconditional love within it.

I have included Simba's Story here on Come Blossom Come Fruit, it is the previous post called Sometimes The End Comes At The Beginning.  I wrote it the day after todays post!

So sometimes the detail leads the story outline.

These sharings have been healing for me, and helped me take a deep breath of life again.

I am always mindful of the healing presence of companion animals and I have deepest gratitude for all their times in my life, and thankfully for their play and the humour they bring to our days.