The New Normal

Nothing is normal

We only think it is

Until it changes

We fight

We resist

We cry

Unfair

We buck

And curse

And swear

Until

A new normal emerges

Change

The new normal

LDBarnes

Barely Breathing

My breathing space

Is small and shrunken.

I barely breathe at all.

It happened

When I was unaware.

The walls moved.

The ceiling dropped.

Doors disappeared.

The air grew stale.

Sour.

Bitter.

And now

I barely breathe at all.

LDBarnes

Insecurity

Deep sighs

Fear trying to escape

Through my mouth

But it lingers

In my gut

Writhing

Deeply

Sighs of insecurity

LDBarnes

Change

"People don't resist change.

They resist being changed!"

Peter Senge 

 Ah! The words of change

Are difficult to swallow,

Difficult to digest,

But swallowed and digested

They must be

These words of health

And refreshment

And new life.

by LDBarnes

Act without Doing

Act without doing;
work without effort.
Think of the small as large
and the few as many.
Confront the difficult
while it is still easy;
accomplish the great task
by a series of small acts.

The Master never reaches for the great;
thus she achieves greatness.
When she runs into a difficulty,
she stops and gives herself to it.
She doesn't cling to her own comfort;
thus problems are no problem for her.

From: Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell. New York: HarperPerennial Modern Classics, 1988.

The Monk Room

An inside space

Darkly lighted

A mysterious space

Silently dimmed

A solid place

Spaciously emptied

A hollow place

Fully occupied

Laughing and dancing

In the monk room

 Image is from Abbey of the Arts Poetry Party

Earth to Heaven

Reaching for the divine

From the center of my being

From the root of who I am

From the earth's ground

Upward to God's space

Connected

Earth to heaven

Heaven to Earth

Art: Thin Threads by Susan Storey

Fire in the Desert

A furnace burns

In the red desert.

My feet are hot;

My heart yearns

For gold.

My hands are dry;

My lips thirst

For gold.

My back is scorched;

My eyes search

For gold.

My skin is black;

My flesh melts.

My insides sweat;

And are formed

Into gold.

A furnace burns

In the red desert.

Poem by Lisa Barnes for Abbey of the Arts Poetry Party

Mary and Gabriel

Mary and Gabriel
Poem by Rupert Brooke (1912)

Young Mary, loitering once her garden way,
Felt a warm splendour grow in the April day,
As wine that blushes water through. And soon,
Out of the gold air of the afternoon,
One knelt before her: hair he had, or fire,
Bound back above his ears with golden wire,
Baring the eager marble of his face.
Not man's nor woman's was the immortal grace
Rounding the limbs beneath that robe of white,
And lighting the proud eyes with changeless light,
Incurious. Calm as his wings, and fair,
That presence filled the garden.
She stood there,
Saying, "What would you, Sir?"
He told his word,
"Blessed art thou of women!" Half she heard,
Hands folded and face bowed, half long had known,
The message of that clear and holy tone,
That fluttered hot sweet sobs about her heart;
Such serene tidings moved such human smart.
Her breath came quick as little flakes of snow.
Her hands crept up her breast. She did but know
It was not hers. She felt a trembling stir
Within her body, a will too strong for her
That held and filled and mastered all. With eyes
Closed, and a thousand soft short broken sighs,
She gave submission; fearful, meek, and glad....

She wished to speak. Under her breasts she had
Such multitudinous burnings, to and fro,
And throbs not understood; she did not know
If they were hurt or joy for her; but only
That she was grown strange to herself, half lonely,
All wonderful, filled full of pains to come
And thoughts she dare not think, swift thoughts and dumb,
Human, and quaint, her own, yet very far,
Divine, dear, terrible, familiar...
Her heart was faint for telling; to relate
Her limbs' sweet treachery, her strange high estate,
Over and over, whispering, half revealing,
Weeping; and so find kindness to her healing.
'Twixt tears and laughter, panic hurrying her,
She raised her eyes to that fair messenger.

He knelt unmoved, immortal; with his eyes
Gazing beyond her, calm to the calm skies;
Radiant, untroubled in his wisdom, kind.
His sheaf of lilies stirred not in the wind.
How should she, pitiful with mortality,
Try the wide peace of that felicity
With ripples of her perplexed shaken heart,
And hints of human ecstasy, human smart,
And whispers of the lonely weight she bore,
And how her womb within was hers no more
And at length hers?

Being tired, she bowed her head;
And said, "So be it!"

The great wings were spread
Showering glory on the fields, and fire.
The whole air, singing, bore him up, and higher,
Unswerving, unreluctant. Soon he shone
A gold speck in the gold skies; then was gone.

The air was colder, and grey. She stood alone.

Balanced and Ready

Poised and steady,

Balanced and ready,

Standing on the shore,

Leaning to the fore,

Desiring more,

Poised,

Steady,

Balanced,

Ready.

Join the Poetry Party over at Abbey of the Arts. Photo from Abbey of the Arts.

Liminal

The nowhere place

Neither in

Nor out.

 

A threshold

Of nothingness.

 

A doorway

Of darkness.

 

The liminal space

Neither in

Nor out.

Poem by Lisa Barnes

Art: http://iatp.ie/home/creative-space/

The Heart of the Earth

The heart of the earth is

Standing on the surface

Hopeful

 

Her shadowy strength is

Gripping the ground

Steadfast

 

Her circular face is

Reflecting the Sun

Centered

This is my poem for the poetry party over at Abbey of the Arts.

A Song for Earth Day

Sing GOD a brand-new song!

Earth and everyone in it, sing!

Sing to GOD—worship GOD!

 

Bravo, GOD, Bravo!

Everyone join in the great shout: Encore!

In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might.

 

Get out the message—GOD Rules!

GOD put the world on a firm foundation;

He treats everyone fair and square.

 

Let’s hear it from Sky,

With Earth joining in,

And a huge round of applause from Sea.

 

Let Wilderness turn cartwheels,

Animals, come dance,

Put every tree of the forest in the choir—

 

An extravaganza before GOD . . . 

 

GOD rules: there’s something to shout over!

On the double, mainlands and islands—celebrate!

Bright clouds and storm clouds circle ‘round . . .

Lightnings light up the world . . .

The heavens announce that GOD will set everything right,

And everyone will see it happen—glorious!

 

You, GOD, are High God of the cosmos,

Far, far higher than any of the gods.

Psalm 96-97 from The Message

Final Words On Being a Helix in the Trinitarian Matrix

From the previous ten posts 

On Being a Helix in the Trinitarian Matrix 

come these final words.

In motion with Infinite Symmetry

Stretching under the Trinitarian nudge

An exquisite replica of the Exquisite Designer

Mesmerizing centered magic

Edges of mystery

Dancing to a Trinitarian rhythm

Sustaining image of created variety

Room in the Trinitarian Matrix

Deep devotion

Pathway to light

Poem: Lisa D Barnes

 Photo: http://spiral.gallery.sytes.org/

Ascent to Light

Ascent

Pathway to light 

Circling upward,

Conduit to clarity

Where dimness

Is brightened

Circling upward,

Corridor to center

Where shadows

Are illuminated

Circling upward,

Conveyor of colors

Where truth

Is highlighted

Pathway to light

Ascent

Poem: Lisa D Barnes

Photo:http://spiral.gallery.sytes.org/

Descent into Devotion

Descent

Around and down,

Around and down,

Around and down,

Distractions

Disappear

Into Distance.

Dialogues

Diminish

Into Deepness.

Diffusions

Distillate

Into Devotion.

Around and down,

Around and down,

Around and down,

Descent

Poem: Lisa D Barnes

Photo: http://spiral.gallery.sytes.org/

Purple Plan

Purple-tipped spears

Pressing earth’s skin

Piercing earth’s belly

Pushing life outward

Purposeful plan

Poem by Lisa Barnes

Abbey of the Arts 31st poetry party

Saint Brigid of Kildare

I would like the angels of Heaven to be among us.

I would like an abundance of peace.

I would like full vessels of charity.

I would like rich treasures of mercy.

I would like cheerfulness to preside over all.

I would like Jesus to be present.

I would like the three Marys of illustrious renown to be with us.

I would like the friends of Heaven to be gathered around us from all parts.

I would like myself to be a rent payer to the Lord;

that I should suffer distress,

that he would bestow a good blessing upon me.

I would like a great lake of beer for the King of Kings.

I would like to be watching Heaven’s family drinking it through all eternity.

Saint Brigid

The Torts

Too much outward looking--distorts

Too much inward looking--contorts

Balanced looking--untorts

Aura of Dawn

O, enlightened wings,

Aura of Dawn,

Brighten my eyes,

Insight.

 

O, enlightened wings,

Aura of Dawn,

Ignite my face,

Desire.

 

O, enlightened wings,

Aura of Dawn,

Transform my soul,

Ascend.

 

Poem by Lisa Barnes

Abbey of the Arts 30th Poetry Party