Author: becomingandbeholding
Perhaps just like you, I find myself on a journey of awakening to who I really am. My writing is my personal and deep exploration of what I notice along the way. I share it with the hope I am a beneficial presence for others. Blessings to you.
Unceasing Prayer
Lately, the weight of the world
seems to hold me to my bed
upon waking.
Entering the day requires
an unfamiliar courage.
But even as I lay under
the comfort of my covers,
trying not to face the universal worry,
I know how to be lifted…
I remember to pause.
I look out the window and
my eyes gaze in wonder
at the trees in the morning sky.
I bow inwardly to the beauty of their sparkle.
If the grip in my chest still remains –
threatening to take away wonder and joy,
I place my hands on my heart
and breathe.
I remember to offer myself
love and care.
This anxiety is not about me.
I can let it go.
Then, I look to my right and smile.
My love is at rest and peaceful.
I am reminded to celebrate all the love in my life.
My heart is soothed and
begins to open to the morning.
This is how to start the day
when the world is in pain.
If we practice the art of
transcendance,
and remind ourselves
of what is true and real,
we can step into the Presence
that we are.
So today, I set my intention to
continue in this way
moment by moment,
mindful of what I choose to see.
As I take the covers off,
and step onto the floor,
I lift up my voice and say,
“thank you.”
I gratefully move forward.
Later, if I catch myself
again in the grip of worry,
veering off track,
I lift up a prayer.
I give voice to what is good.
I deepen my gaze and do the work.
This way, darkness and fear
don’t win.
And I am free to love generously.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, April 2020, during the Covid 19 Pandemic.
Regardless of the subject matter, this is the only thing worth teaching; how to uncover the original center and live from there once restored. – Mark Nepo
No Mud, No Lotus
The Remedy
When in isolation,
and the feeling of it overwhelms,
remember the love within you.
Look to your heart and
the fullness there, the fullness that
swells with your sweet attention to it.
You are not alone.
You are the branch which stretches and shades from
every tree you have ever sat under.
You are the sea spray that has kissed your face
from every stroll on the beach.
You are the joy of your beloved pet who
always blesses you with pure affection.
You are the song that the morning bird sings.
You are even the touch of every hand held and
every embrace shared.
Every heart contains these wonders
for they have been memorized within
its secret and divine chambers.
Therefore, your heart is the keeper
and she waits for you.
Learning to trust her
allows you to relax into your life
and glow as designed to do so
no matter what is happening outside of you.
Those who know this, know how
to live from the inside.
They know how to touch God.
It is that simple.
The Presence lives in you, so
you are not alone.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, April 2020, During the Covid 19 Pandemic
I am as sure as I live that nothing is so near to me as God. God is nearer to me than I am to myself; my existence depends on the nearness and presence of God. – Meister Eckhart
First Draft
This is not a good poem.
I can’t seem to find my voice –
It is missing among the tangle
in my heart.
I keep digging in the bramble
and coming up empty.
I invite her back
and tell her I miss her soothing tones
which lift and heal.
I miss her guidance.
I know this is an important time –
a time when the losses are dramatic and scary
and a deeper knowing
is required.
I have been preparing for this moment
as have you.
Life has brought us here together.
We have certainly hit the brambles before.
And we have made it through…
But this time I find myself speechless.
The brambles are thick and unrelenting,
paralyzing expression.
It seems a moment
when words cannot dare to speak
what the heart cannot sort
or feel.
It is a time
to nurture the silence.
It needs space right now.
The words can rest
until they know what to say.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, April 10, 2020
Covid 19 Pandemic
Home
My heart is at a loss as it
searches for a home –
even as I sit here, even as I sit here in
the comfort of this place.
My heart is at a loss as it
reaches for a peace –
a peace that calms my restless soul, a soul
that cannot settle in this mess.
My heart is at a loss as it
feels strangled by new limits,
limits that are new and have descended in a
tidal wave, a wave that overwhelms me.
My heart is at a loss as it dreams of
better days, as it dreams of better days filled with
comfort and touch, the touch that heals and soothes,
and plays with long-lost freedom.
This is the home I am in, a home that
holds the fears and worries, a home
that keeps me safe from harm, still. Though my heart is
a tangle which longs to loosen, it is my home, it
is my home.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, March, 2020
Weather
When fear is everywhere,
take a breath.
Remind yourself that
as real as the fear feels,
it is a passing storm.
You can see it but
you don’t belong to it.
Remember that you are not the weather.
You are the sky.
We can choose to be blown away
and knocked off our feet…
or we can choose
to have the compassionate and wise view from above.
We can be observant
while holding on to
who we really are.
Only by holding fast to the good in us –
our expansive being –
can we truly be helpful
or even present.
So, keep your eyes open
while patiently riding it out.
Don’t allow yourself to get knocked over
or sucked into the whirlwind.
Be ever-present and calm
just like the blue sky
which endures every storm.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, March 2020
“I am the sky. Everything else is just the weather.” – Pema Chodron
Releasing the Bud
That thing you have been dodging –
maybe for years,
could be your true gift.
We often hide
and shy away from
the reason we are here –
what we have to offer.
We don’t mean to…
In fact, we think we are doing the best we can.
But our inner restlessness
and discomfort with life,
is often a clue
that we are leaning in the wrong direction.
We are a flower
that hesitates to bloom –
being tight in the bud.
Eventually, we listen to inspiration
and we are nudged
to dare and turn toward the sunshine
to stretch our petals.
We open up.
As we stretch and grow,
stretch and grow,
we are quenched with grace
and a new freedom.
Finally, we are on the beam,
warmed by a dazzling light which
illuminates our path ahead.
We become a blessing for others
in the sharing of our gift.
We radiate.
This is what it means
to say “Yes!”
to the life and love
born within us.
Nothing is more beautiful
or so urgently needed.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, 2020
Nevertheless, Spring Forth!
The weight is heavy –
this boulder on top of you.
It came out of nowhere!
You are stuck.
Never before have you felt such a hard, unrelenting blockage.
This rock is cold.
This pain is real.
It is time to hunker down
and see who is with you –
to be reminded that you are not alone.
Your roots reach to touch others
who share your dilemma,
your pain.
As the seeds within you
fight for survival,
you dare to stretch.
You find another.
Together, your reach is stronger.
Together, you find a community –
one that works together
to search the cold surfaces
to find the cracks.
For, no matter how hard the rock is,
it is no match
for the faith of a community
that seeks the light.
Your strength is in knowing that
the light is always there.
It cannot be extinguished –
no matter how big or daunting
the rock is.
Therefore, bloom!
Do not give up.
Reach for the light together.
Crack that rock apart
and let the strength within
spring forth!
You have it in you –
for you were born to find the light.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, 2020
Be You
There are examples everywhere…
The petals of the flower
unfold with grace
and without struggle.
The dog wags his tail
without question
or worry about how silly he may appear.
The cloud floats
across a big sky –
allowing the breezes to direct it.
The waves surge –
rising and falling
to a mysterious rhythm and song
and changes as necessary.
So, what is this angst
that pulls at you,
fooling you into thinking
that there is something wrong?
Look at the path ahead.
It unwinds without effort.
You need not know where it leads.
It matters not
how your path differs
from the one next to you.
This is your path.
Feel the ground under you.
Walk.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, 2020
