Out of one huge NO
comes a chorus of yeses.
Rivers of light flow from human eyes,
and consider your ears, where language
alchemizes into amber.
He gives the soul a house,
then another and another.
He descends into the dirt
and makes it majesty.
Be silent now.
Say fewer and fewer praise poems.
Let yourself become living poetry.
~from Soul Houses by Rumi
I came up with the bare bones for the Living Poetry e-course many moons ago, probably six or so years back. I was lying on the floor looking at a candle flicker inside a Christmas vase, mosaic red and green. The way the light looked at that angle captured me and I wrote a poem about it. Afterward I thought, poetry is everywhere. We are poems. Life is poetry.
comes a chorus of yeses.
Rivers of light flow from human eyes,
and consider your ears, where language
alchemizes into amber.
He gives the soul a house,
then another and another.
He descends into the dirt
and makes it majesty.
Be silent now.
Say fewer and fewer praise poems.
Let yourself become living poetry.
~from Soul Houses by Rumi
I came up with the bare bones for the Living Poetry e-course many moons ago, probably six or so years back. I was lying on the floor looking at a candle flicker inside a Christmas vase, mosaic red and green. The way the light looked at that angle captured me and I wrote a poem about it. Afterward I thought, poetry is everywhere. We are poems. Life is poetry.
It's easy to forget, easy for our eyes, our senses to dull to everyday life: the kids, the cleaning, the job, the cooking. It all becomes quite boring and routine when we rush past it, just to do it all over again the next day.
And even I, this self-proclaimed woman who sees with child's eyes, gets caught up in cobwebs every now and again.
I want 2014 to be the year of slowing down, of savoring, seduction. I want to drink a glass of Shiraz sloooowly, savor a piece of Mexican chocolate, seduce myself into little luxuries. I want to find even more poetry in this world and capture it with a pen, with my heart.
Do you?
How to Find (and become) Living Poetry
♥ Open your senses to the ordinary
♥ Practice mindfulness in everyday "chores"
From the time you get up to the moment you slip your body beneath the blankets, make a vow to notice what's around you.
♥ Feel the water rushing over your body in the shower.
♥ Listen to the cereal hitting your bowl and the milk pouring over the cereal.
♥ Breathe in your freshly brewed coffee.
♥ Notice the slant of sunlight breaking through the windows.
Let these ordinary things seduce you. Look at them from a different angle. Feel them on your skin.
To see poetry, to become poetry is like believing in magic - you must be open to it. It's all there, from the candle to the spider's web to the mug clasped between your hands.
It's life. It's you and me. We're dancing through poetry.
And even I, this self-proclaimed woman who sees with child's eyes, gets caught up in cobwebs every now and again.
I want 2014 to be the year of slowing down, of savoring, seduction. I want to drink a glass of Shiraz sloooowly, savor a piece of Mexican chocolate, seduce myself into little luxuries. I want to find even more poetry in this world and capture it with a pen, with my heart.
Do you?
How to Find (and become) Living Poetry
♥ Open your senses to the ordinary
♥ Practice mindfulness in everyday "chores"
From the time you get up to the moment you slip your body beneath the blankets, make a vow to notice what's around you.
♥ Feel the water rushing over your body in the shower.
♥ Listen to the cereal hitting your bowl and the milk pouring over the cereal.
♥ Breathe in your freshly brewed coffee.
♥ Notice the slant of sunlight breaking through the windows.
Let these ordinary things seduce you. Look at them from a different angle. Feel them on your skin.
To see poetry, to become poetry is like believing in magic - you must be open to it. It's all there, from the candle to the spider's web to the mug clasped between your hands.
It's life. It's you and me. We're dancing through poetry.
If you want to invoke even more living poetry into your life and get a soul nudge each day (with pictures, prompts, and inspiration), sign up for the next round of Living Poetry, starting February 1. ♥♥♥ It's the ultimate self-love, love life course ♥♥♥
