Come Home, Little Heart

Poems From The Porch

Squirrel traveling on branches

Owl earnestly calling

Blue jay snapping twigs

The stillness of water-laden air

Cawing crow hiding from view

Dove adding to the chorus

Breathing in the beauty

Prayer rising with the sage incense

Noticing the residuals of shame from a past encounter

Remembering,

“Ah, this is what shame feels like.”

Understanding that shame is something I do to myself through self-judgment

Weaving the threads of love to form a blanket

Normalizing thread

Validation thread

Relaxation thread

Wrapping this love blanket around the little girl who tries so hard

Big exhale

A smile arising

as the heart comes home to her Self

Engaging With The Poem

Poetry can be a doorway to the soul and your own creativity. Throughout the ages, the written word has been used as a means to access personal truth and as a vehicle for prayer through the practice of sacred reading (lectio divina). I encourage you to try this beautiful practice and let its truths to be self-evident.

How To Practice Sacred Reading

Read~Reflect~Respond~Rest

READ the passage through slowly more than once, noticing how it feels in your body and the response of your heart.

REFLECT: What word resonates with you? What phrase speaks to you? What overall personal meaning comes to you? Allow yourself to follow a tangent.

RESPOND by making space for the prayer of your heart to manifest. Write down the words and/or phrases that resonate with you, and allow them to arrange themselves into your own poem or prayer.

REST with your eyes closed, perhaps using the word that most resonates with you as your mantra for silent meditation.

Dear friend,

May your mind be peaceful and calm,

may your body be relaxed and comfortable,

and may your heart be filled with love.

Thank you for reading.

Blessings and gratitude,

Ani