Tag: Inspiration
The Gift of Understanding
I had a desire,
a prayer, really –
of how it should go.
My doubting heart considered it wishful thinking.
But the courage within won
and I expressed it, anyway –
not caring if I looked,
or sounded, foolish.
And then,
when the moment arrived,
my prayer was answered,
just like that,
exactly as imagined.
It seemed an effortless occurrence
and had the quality of
of course this is how it should go…
I was blown away, warmed up, lit up, and loved –
completely – and all at once
in that moment.
This is what a sudden dawning feels like.
I wondered at how
it wasn’t even a formal prayer –
with head bowed low,
spoken in desperation or
pious humility.
But I did speak it from my heart
and out loud
to You –
and I shared it with others.
It must have counted…
because it was realized.
I know now,
ever more deeply, that
You are here,
with me,
and in this life of mine.
And when I look back,
I see your traces –
your hand,
your heart,
molding, leading, comforting,
ever more clearly.
I am like a baby playing peek-a-boo…
the joy of discovery
brings me intense happiness.
You are here.
I can see you!
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, 2018
True Nourishment
We mean well.
We want to do the right thing,
for our health –
in this body.
We research,
we ponder,
we constantly switch gears…
our poor, confused pantry.
Our mind spins along with the
grocery list.
How do we feed this body,
this temple,
this home?
Does the flower question the sun?
Does the tree even think about the soil?
No, they just bloom and grow,
guided in the ways to stretch.
Does the hungry child refuse the rice bowl –
freely given?
Food is food.
Perhaps it is time
for a big serving of gratitude…
and instead of seeking answers
outside ourselves,
to look inward,
and trust the wisdom within.
Our bodies know
what nourishes best.
Listen –
and let go of the struggle.
In this way,
your world can open into
a beautiful freedom –
and lasting health
can be born.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, 2018
Signal Lights
With the guiding of inspiration,
they come through me,
pointing the way.
Their clarity can be piercing –
sharp and brilliant,
beacons through my
self-created fog.
I wonder at how
they show up-
just when I need them the most.
They are like friends who
know when a smile or a hug
is needed.
And, in the same way,
they are cherished, unconditionally.
This is what my poems mean for me.
I help create them, but
do not quite live them yet.
They love me still.
Funny, how words create worlds…
the beyond is brought forth
in the same way
a kiss presents affection.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, 2018
This is It
The cat purring in my lap
while the birds sing their morning song…
My heartbeat,
strong and regular,
sending the vibration of vitality everywhere –
to my very fingertips and toes,
opening my eyes,
and lighting up my taste buds.
It travels past
all the aches and pains,
those spots that distract and annoy.
The pain cannot stop its movement,
but is touched by its energy –
kissed by the whispers of hope.
One day you won’t need this pain…
The promise of a new day
is the reliable reboot given every morning.
Perhaps this is the day
I will finally see,
not only with my eyes,
but with my whole being,
that
this is it.
No more will I wait
for my turn,
holding back and waiting
for that perfect moment
that never comes.
Life is here now,
and ever so fleeting.
It passes before me,
it beats within me,
it connects me
to all that matters.
Life lives on through me
even when I am pressing the brakes.
It moves forward,
with or without me.
This is it –
the blessings are here.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, 2018
Beyond Chasing Tail
Round and round we go,
looping and repeating,
distracted with ourselves –
chasing tail.
Transformation comes only
when we lose interest
in this game –
when it finally dawns on us
how much time,
and how much energy
is lost
in the constant spinning.
It is the miracle
of the pause
which lifts us up
and out –
and helps us connect
to what is real and true.
We discover the wonder of rest, and
in the birth of this realization,
we learn to drop the chase.
We are finally free.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, 2018
Gradually Getting It
Here is the nub of it all:
Like a white birch tree,
along a rocky shore,
I am most beautiful, healthy, and free,
when I am part of
the whole picture,
blending into the larger scene.
Standing alone,
while interesting,
makes the tree more
vulnerable to the wind and weather.
One has to ask,
What will happen if I drop my striving and planning?
More and more,
this question arrives, and
I dare to loosen my grip,
embracing the magic
of trust and letting go –
I follow inspiration,
and stop making it all
about me.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, 2018
Then Sings My Soul
When wanting meets realization
and dis-ease catches a glimpse
of healing,
my eyes spring open –
and I can see, once again,
how You are right here,
right here.
Life is a beautiful dance.
The music always plays,
with You leading my steps,
and I, in faith, following,
sometimes tripping along-
crying or laughing my way forward –
humbled by my missteps,
and blessed when I move
with grace.
Nevertheless,
and more and more,
I realize,
when I look up
from my preoccupation with
my own feet,
You are here,
You are here.
The dance we share
is as reliable as Life itself.
and its music
floats my heart skyward
as my soul
breaks into song.
Copyright© Cynthia Cady Stanton, 2018
It Happens…
….. if we are one of the lucky ones, that is.
We get older.
When did this natural reality –
with wrinkles in the mix,
become a source of shame?
I admit it,
I struggle with the mirror.
We, me and the mirror, have a daily dialogue which
is too personal to share…
For this reason,
I try to keep my glasses off
when near a reflective surface,
like a mirror or window,
that is how silly of a woman I can be.
I am angry that I was taught
to be self-conscious, evaluative
on a daily basis.
Why do we do this to women, to girls?
I marvel how men could care less.
Their freedom is awesome
and also more affordable.
And as a spiritual woman,
I am embarrassed I still struggle with all this.
I know I go deeper than all that.
So, I am learning to embrace my wrinkles,
and all the rest of it –
as a woman in my fifties.
This is just another example of
how I must get out of my own way
in order to be
the wonderful creation
I was meant to be –
so I can be free, too.
Therefore,
give me laughter,
give me love,
give me purpose,
and humility, too.
Bless me with health.
That is all I really need.
I will take care of myself
as best I can,
and let go of the rest
with grace.
Life is way too short
and I know too well
where this all heads.
But I am not there yet.
My wrinkles tell a story…
the story of me.
Amen to that.
Copyright@ Cynthia Cady Stanton, 2018
Vitamin See
Pay attention to what you bring into view
but fret not too much
the ingredients on the box.
Nourishment is more than simply
what you eat or drink.
Have you noticed lately
how the trees are bursting?
Is the sound of the sea echoing in
your mind and your heart, too?
Have you touched a hand lately –
really held it ? The warmth of another
traveling up your arm and straight into your soul?
Our minds are so full and busy,
we open our eyes and barely see,
we breathe but only a little –
just enough to keep going,
but not enough to be present.
Take a walk outside.
Let the sun bathe you,
the trees whisper,
the birds perform their dances,
all for you.
Go barefoot on the beach
and sink a little
into the comfort of being held
by a Love much bigger
than your great imagination –
a Love that holds you up.
Can you hear the quiet of the morning?
It holds the soft hum of Life itself.
This is how to cleanse:
nourish yourself with awareness,
with trees and soil,
with touch.
Copyright © Cynthia Cady Stanton, 2018
Becoming and Beholding 