Wisdom Waters

Wisdom enduring over lifetimes
Spring forth freely now
In laughter
In tears
And the powerful silence
The sparkle of light
The opaque night
Are joined in your soul
Pour yourself forth freely
Into the lonely crevices of our tortured landscapes
Into our dried up seabeds you flow
Reminding us of lush Eden
Still alive just beneath the barren crust
Oh flow now from yourself
And help us remember
As we open our thirsty souls to you
Free us from the shores of our longing
And we will let the cool currents of Love carry us
Into the depths we were once afraid to explore

Real Courage is not Flashy but Most Needed

I went to a songwriter’s critique years ago and performed a song I was working on at the time. A wise gray hair who had been in the music business for many years said that the last line in my chorus needed work. The problem was that it was anti-climactic and did not have the action needed to be conveyed in the words. The beginning of the line was "Don’t be afraid to …", which was not the problem. The finishing of the sentence was the problem. "Don’t be afraid to follow the path of your own mind."

Okay. I think the guy knew what he was talking about as far as the norm for hit songs in the country and pop music business goes. I’ve remembered his input from time to time when I am writing songs. The idea of following the path of your mind may not sound like an effective, action-oriented ending you would expect after beginning with "Don’t be afraid to . . ." do something. But it really is, you know.

Following your own mind can be more courageous than fighting a war or skydiving. Following your own mind may lead to fighting a war or skydiving, or it might lead to more quiet actions or fear-facing that impact the world more effectively and permanently than more flashy actions. And how scary can it be? Oh. Very scary, indeed. Uh, that’s why many tend to prefer outward, tangible action than inner work.

The inside of a human being has dark crevices and caves where shadowy parts of us hide. Most people would rather face death in battle than venture into the darker recesses of their own mind and soul. But it has to be done. Sooner or later, in this decade or the next, in this life or the next, the path has to be walked. The hidden has to be revealed and redeemed. Every jot, every tittle, every lurking part of us we don’t want to know about will be dealt with.

But it’s not all about revealing the dark parts. That’s only the beginning. The scary parts are there to protect some treasure that has been abused and abandoned. Some action or way of thinking put a precious piece of your psyche in danger of destruction. Rather than be annihilated, it went into hiding in the shadows and the crevices of your landscape, taking refuge with them and charging them with the fear and hate created by their downfall. The lost parts must be recovered before you and the world can be whole. But it’s not easy. And, if you do it, you won’t feel it’s anti-climactic or lacking in significance. Oh no. Quite the contrary.

This is the first quest of our lives. To seek, reveal, and love every real thing. In us, in others, and in All.

We cannot know the Truth until we know our truth. We cannot operate with Absolutes until we experience our individual realities. The warped things we create when we try to operate the machinery of the Universe without truly understanding or caring about how it works on every level are what we should fear the most. And deep inside, we do.

Shopping

Shopping

Shiny streets in a wet metro night
Another shopping town
Movies houses and malls
Construction banners and coffee shops
Restaurants by the score
All you can eat
And much much more
Blah blah blah

Even as we scurry about the suburban surface
Our souls have frozen into waiting
For a time when this will all make sense
When corners will be neat and secure
And bundles will be laid out brightly and sweetly
Beneath an Evergreen

One true thought
One feeling uncensored
Would free us

All we’ve been taught of reigning in
We’ve learned too well
We’re waiting for enlightenment, ascension, Armageddon
The return of someone we never really knew
Waiting for science to save us
Waiting for religion to accept us
Waiting for politicians to wise up
Waiting for a piece of paper to validate us
Waiting for that first big break to empower us
Waiting to be excellent
Someday

In dreams we wander old haunts not knowing we are dead
Gazing longingly into bright and brassy blurs
Searching for a flicker from one pure beam of light which holds all we seek
Not knowing it has moved on with the expansion of Eternity
Where permissions are neither sought nor granted, bought, nor sold
Where nothing waits or remains unchanged

Where one true thought
One feeling uncensored
Would wake us, free us, set us in motion
To find home at last on the Path that never ends

LESSONS OF FREEDOM

Let the people in a free land learn the lessons of freedom.
Let the people in this country be truly free.

We must pray for the impossible.

Let the leaders of the people lead the people down a new road.
Let the eyes of the leaders truly see.

We must pray for the impossible.

Let them see that the old games are insane.
They have no place in this New World.
Clear the slate and start again;
Let us all see the vision of this New World.

We can't build the New World on the old foundations,
Power structures that raised and felled all the nations.
No new lands to conquer, no where to hide
Time to untie the ancient knots inside

Let the people in a free world live the life of freedom.
Let the people in this world be truly free.

We must believe in the impossible.

On Outliving Monsters

Monsters that haunted me
I ceased to fight
Fierce holds loosened
Malicious lights in raging eyes dimmed
Gutteral rumblings and restless growls
Were assuaged by great gulps of silence.

Accusers who sat in judgement
I ceased to debate
Rinsed the grime of their documents from my hands
and walked out into the Loveliness
breathing earth and drinking sky.
Those old courtrooms held no jurisdiction
Over the fate of my soul.

I did not conquer all my fears. I out-lasted them.
My adversaries shriveled and starved
In the absence of my round stares.

There were books I did not need to finish, after all
I could simply lay them aside and find better stories.
If I open the old tomes now,
Their power to enthrall and magnetize has dissolved.
Their scowls and whimpers fall through my consciousness like sand through a sifter
Until shining nuggets alone remain.

sherry fraley, 2007

Time to Turn Off the TV News?

On the way to work this morning, I started fuming to myself about how NBC has used the "materials" sent to them by the perpetrator of the Virginia Tech massacre, hoarding them from other news agencies and presenting them to us, the eager masses, like a prize scoop. A scoop they did not have to apply one iota of journalistic skill to obtain. I suppose that is typical and to be expected. Beyond that, it does seem that one tiny application of critical thinking would allow the bubble of a question to surface in at least one decision-maker’s mind: a question as to how much sense it makes to air material that an insane murderer prepared in order to glorify himself; a question as to how advisable it is to put those images and those demented justifications of unspeakable life-ending actions in front of those few, but potentially devastating, future death eaters who would be taking it all in. It is food for the demons that torment some poor and wretched human beings.
But then, maybe NBC’s first airing was not as damaging as the continuous repetitions there and on other news shows. I was one of the many whose curiosity led me to take those images in. The material did further my own comprehension of the sickness inside this killer. But was it really worth it when the potential damage to a good number of others is considered? Apparently, some parents of the victims do not think so and have cancelled upcoming interviews in protest. Perhaps they do not think it is right and decent that while their children’s lives have been silenced, the killer’s craven voice of hatred toward them is allowed a hearing.
Watching the circus we humans have created around this and other horrific events is an uncomfortably enlightening experience. The mass fascination goes into a feeding frenzy while trying to retain the appearance of decency and caring. What in our psyches is so vulnerable to this? Maybe some people are simply curious? Others are horrified, but can’t turn away. And then there are those who have to fake their horror just to still appear human, while they really can’t wait to find some vulnerability somewhere to pounce upon. Someone to blame and rail about. "How could this happen? Why wasn’t "something" done? It was obvious "something" like this was going to happen!"
No. I venture to say it was not obvious that this person was on the brink of becoming a mass murderer. How can these silly people step so comfortably up onto the high judgement seat and heap more burdens on these people who are already suffering? Why do we give these silly petty gossip-mongers enough ratings to remain on the air? It always come back to us doesn’t it? We give them their air time, do we not? Maybe it’s time we took it away. Remotes to the rescue. Change that channel. Or, even better, perhaps, just turn off the TV and have a quiet meal with a loved one.

Harry Potter and the Fatal Relics?

Finally. I'm weighing in on the title of the next and last installment of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. Who knows, I might get around to chatting about the recently revealed book covers before the book comes out July 21st.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
(What could it mean?)

I do think the title is significant, but probably, like most titles, only in a way that we will understand once we have read the book. Nevertheless, I will take this opportunity to fulfill my urge to ponder just a bit upon what this title could possibly mean and point to for this next, this final, volume in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series.

Now, pondering usually leads to questions, such as:
What does "deathly" mean, anyway? Does it mean the hallows are deadly, dangerous? Already dead? Having some characteristic or look of death, like being pale or still? Are the hallows people or a place? Menacing, wispy, eerie? Hallowed, holy? I have not seen the word, hallow, defined as a noun, only as a verb. So Ambiguity is given its useful role once more. It suggests to me a bit of play in the actual meaning of the words, nuances that may only be found in the JKRowling Dictionary.

Are the deathly hallows behind the Veil in the Ministry of Magic, whispering so mesmerizingly? Harry forgot all he was about just standing there listening to them for a moment. Perhaps even Voldemort would find them irresistible? The Veil was my first thought. Many associate hollows with hallows, and thus Godric’s Hollow, which Harry has said he will visit. And who knows? With the Rowling play on words, could there be a connection? There seem to be too many possibilities and slippery ambiguities to hold any one of them down; but the idea I still like the best is that it has something to do with the Veil in the Department of Mysteries. If so, if these deathly hallows are behind the Veil, what are they whispering about, and what part will they play in this last act? Will Harry visit them? Will they help him? Will they woo Voldemort to join them? (Although it’s hard to rationalize Voldy joining a hallowed group.) Will these beings reveal to Harry the true power of his greatest asset, Love? (another ambiguity) Will they send him back, or is it possible for Harry to go back and live a normal life?

Ach! I’m probably totally off base. What’s the use? But it’s fun, is it not, to wonder and to theorize? But, unlike many HP fans, by the time I feel the solid weight of this hefty tome in my hands, I will be ready. Ready to read for hours and hours with reddened eyes and fevered brain, savoring, yes, each Weasley, Dursley, Longbottom, and every beloved and behated character old and new, the things they say, the things they do, until I reach the end. Yes. I must finally reach the end. I must know. I must know what happens. As a most beloved Potter character said in the first volume, "It is not good to dwell on dreams and forget to live." So. We will be set free, in a way, from this wonderful dream that J.K.Rowling dreamed and we have participated in all together, to our utmost imaginings. But all the good thoughts and endeavors and accomplishments that this magical phenomenon has spawned and set into motion will not end. And that is the true magic, after all.

There are lots of theories and discussions abounding in webland on this subject. If you are interested in reading more (although it's hard to imagine you would have seen it here before reading about it in a thousand other places first) a good place to start is The Leaky Cauldron.

New Faces & Places

Last week was a week of new contacts, which is not the usual thing for me. I’m taking it as a sign of changes to come. The last two Saturdays I have done chair massage. March 24th was at Miss Scarlet’s Chocolate Emporium in Acworth, GA. Don’t let the name fool you. In addition to chocoholic delectables, Suzi, the owner has aromatherapy products, birthday tea parties, hemp clothing, and a soon to open Christmas Room. A new contact at Miss Scarlet’s, Lisa Berg, led to another afternoon of chair massage the following Saturday at the grand opening for Lisa's Rejuvenation Station just down the street which provides yoga and tai chi classes, acupuncture, massage, herb shop, and more. I hope to be doing massage there as well in the future.

I don’t remember meeting new contacts during the days between the two Saturdays; however, I did re-contact an old massage therapy school fellow student, Deenie, to borrow her massage chair. She is very busy with massage clients, as I knew she would be.

Sunday I actually went to service, arriving just in time for meditation. Afterwards, I went to lunch with an old friend, Lauri, and a new friend, Wink. (I believe that name is correct….) Wink and I ended up having a marathon chat at Cool Beans coffeehouse and learned pieces of each others’ life stories. It’s times like that you realize how interesting our lives and the ideas in our minds are. I was long over-due for a coffeehouse talk event, which is one of my most favorite things of all. I could have over-dosed, but since it was afternoon hours, I had enough sleep time to recover.

So all in all, I am hopeful that this is a sign of new and good changes to come. As always, there seems to be so much to figure out, and maybe I get myself bogged down in the figuring out; so I’ll just try to catch the moments and events as they come and act on opportunities instead of letting them pass, even if I don’t see how it’s all going to shape up. Lots of ideas. Lots of possibilities. So many universes to create.

Masks

If all the world’s a stage,
Let us not limit the parts we play.
Our masks will be our liberation.

You look at me and think you know me.
I see your face, so familiar, and ask no questions.
These faces hide us behind their settled arrangements
While drawers of masks lie in swirling silences
Awaiting turns to unlock our hidden treasures.
In our secret chambers before our moonlit mirrors
We try them on.

Tremble at their gruesome grimaces.
Swoon from their mad hilarities.
Melt in their enlightened loveliness.

Wander beneath their solemn gazes into the infinities.
Inquire into their ancient origins . . .

If we bring them out into the sunlight
Will the Sun hide his face?
Or will he laugh and beam and peer back on us with longing
As he swells and sinks into the last blaze of our day,
Wishing he could slow the spin of the Earth
Now that he has seen those faces the Moon scarcely knows
And of whom only the Stars can sing
As they twinkle from our eyes
And pierce easily through zombie fogs.

And what, then, will we see in each other

If we do not shield our eyes?
Always something new in the features we recognize
For we have as many faces
as the Sky.

sherry fraley, 2007

Gather the Women

My two friends, Dara and Ann, and I, known to some as Simple Grace, sang for the first meeting of the Atlanta chapter of Gather The Women, an international organization for, you guessed it, women. I’m still learning about it, but it involves mentoring and support of women for each other; and it also works on the idea that women can make a powerful impact on the world in a unique way, especially when collaborating with each other. To find out more, visit their site.

One of the highlights of the meeting, which I enjoyed even more than I anticipated, was a panel of three women in the Atlanta area who were not only successful, but had found their own way in the world, many times going against the grain of conventional wisdom and advice. My favorite quote of the day was from Sue Ellen Reager (patented inventor, speaker of 10 languages, world traveller, CEO of her own company…), who said "What fun life is when you don’t follow advice!" This was said after relating all of the advice she got from well-meaning grown-ups in her life to, in essence, tone down her personality a notch or two to become easier to get along with (insert "manipulate") and follow some well-trod path to Wifedom and Motherhood, or at least Secretaryville. These ideas may sound ridiculous to us today, but only a few short decades ago, it was still taken for granted by almost everyone that there was such a thing as "a women’s place", and it was at home or in some support position. It took a lot of confidence, energy, and persistence to go against that tide.

Have we come a long way, as women, since those days? I think yes, in some ways, due largely to a few brave souls who made the first steps for us. There are some cultures which still perpetuate narrow and tyrannical attitudes toward women, of course; but even in the areas where much freedom has been achieved, I see a gender in transition and flux with its self-image. How do we see ourselves, really? Do we go further and do more than our foremothers only because it has been made more acceptable? That's a start, but do we really know what we want? Do we still take too much to heart the images of women on screens and print all around us? What would some of us do to get/keep a man? STILL! What would some of us still give up to be "loved" by a person or group? Do we still allow ourselves to be limited within our own psyches by ingrained attitudes and opinions of others?

The battle is inside of our selves now. If there is an enemy, it is not men, governments, or media. We have been given the information and the examples. We can choose to be awake or go back to sleep. Great breakthroughs have been made for us in the last century or two by women and men who saw a change was needed in the way the female human was viewed, but continued progress is not inevitable. That’s up to each one of us.

Half Birthdays

Just realized this is my half-birthday. Not that I’ve ever paid attention to them before. Never heard of such a thing until a few years ago when my daughter was a tiny person, and I overheard another Mom talking about what she did for her little daughter's half birthday. Well, time goes so slowly for the young ones (remember?) that it’s a mercy to not make them wait all that long, long time until the next birthday. Maybe. These days, my birthdays come plenty soon, thanks; but I might just think of some way to be especially nice to myself to quietly notice it’s a half-special day. Pity, but we do seem to need ways to rationalize being good to ourselves. So. Why not use half-birthdays to do it?
Happy half-birthday to me
Happy half-birthday to me
Happy half-birthday dear me
Happy half-birthday to me
- and many more.
Shhh!
How embarrassing!

Back with a Poem

I get impatient with those bloggers who start out a new blog entry (sometimes almost every new entry) with something like, "Well it's been a long time since my last entry. Sorry, I've been having computer problems and midterms and a midlife crisis and final exams and dramas in my personal life, etc...." It's so inane, isn't it? Not to mention a waste of the reader's time. You just want to say, "Oh, get on with it already." So anyway, sorry it's been so long since my last entry, my life has been so crazy blah blah blah.

Here's a poem with which I am re-entering the blogoshere. It was inspired by a tarot card in the Voyager deck (the creation of James Wanless). It was also inspired by a voice in me that I only wish would get stronger and more powerful in it's influence my daily life. I hope it connects with the ear in you that can hear it.

UNIVERSES

by Sherry Fraley, 2007

So many possibilities and variations on themes
living things
growing things
new and tender seedlings
Once encased, now blossoming tendrils curious and hungry in all directions

Is it all in the Mind
Or is the Mind in It All

So many possibilities
Go with one that moves you
To charge the energy moving around you
And the whole lovely chaos of your realm
Will turn and move with you
Creating universes in your swirling wake

Beloved Satellite

Our night without you so dark
Our waters unmoved by tidal breaths
Waxing and waning womb gone from our sky
If you were set free

Thrall of Earth
Enthralling, in turn, the Earth and her children
She can hide no surface from your face
While you show only your face to Her

You are Mystery embodied
Pulling desire from our hearts in silvery threads
Growing heavy with promise
And shrinking to a sliver of longing

Cradled and gazing on far-away suns
Where you journeyed in your ancient freedom
You take our hearts with you into your dream
Under the refuge of the encroaching Shadow

Sherry Fraley
2006