Often, we attempt to nurture the self. But, the self isn’t the same as the soul. I’ve been considering this quite a bit lately. Here is a poem that arose from from my reflections.
Soul, soul.
I hadn’t seen her in some time,
as she loved her secret space.
When she peaked her presence,
I delighted. In short order,
I took control of her needs.
I bought her a Starbucks latte
and a new red handbag, but
she didn’t seem impressed.
I fed her fancy chocolates
and poured her a glass of wine.
She smiled a bit, but still,
something was missing.
Hmmmm…
Maybe she wanted the affection of other souls.
I brought her to parties to share her beauty.
The fondness from others was fleeting
and Soul, soul shook her head,
“No. This is not what fills me.”
I was about to give up.
But, I considered, “Maybe Soul, soul is bored.”
I grabbed her by the hands and swung her into busyness.
We joined gatherings and led groups.
We traveled to amazing places and took in the sights.
Somehow, this didn’t work either.
Soul, soul became tired. Very tired.
In fact, she almost went to sleep.
I didn’t know what to do. So,
I didn’t do anything.
I became quiet.
I sat on a rock and stared at some water.
I looked my friend in the eye and shared her tears.
I wrote in a journal and got my insides out.
I painted on a canvas and heard messages from beyond.
I gave some love and received some love.
One night, as I cuddled the blanket close,
and laid my head to rest, a murmur arose
from beneath the pillow,
“Yes, yes!
Continue to
listen, love and respond
to your gleanings. Find presence
wherever you are.
This is the way I am fed.
Thank you for
honoring me.”
Her words lit a flame in my heart.
I drifted off to peaceful sleep.