This is a Eurasian eagle-owl seen yesterday at a local wildlife rescue centre.  Apparently, these creatures are long-lived and generally outlive their ‘owners’. Thankfully there are those who will look after them when this happens. Clearly these birds were born to fly. My heart goes out to such creatures. Below is a copy of a comment I left to yesterdays post.

Reflecting now  I realize that context is all and not giving the details of my lived past days would have readers imagine I was finding humour at the expense of outright cruelty to those Camels. Far from that.

Sometimes what one encounters in the course of a day is SO ‘out there’ that one is taken past outrage and condemnation. One can however become numb with the onslaught of unremitting ‘madness’ to the point where cruelty, ignorance and tragedy become the norm. For many in this world, creatures included, numb is the only feasible response when death is close – frequently a slow death at that. There is no humour here AND if one cares to be still the smile in ones’  heart remains. Bigger, wider and unexplainable.

We have been living, we are still living and will continue to live with such levels of madness (suffering) in our world that the opposites, numbness and outrage, smash together taking one past the pain.  And still one engages.

‘Battle’ against ‘whatever it might be’, can become a way of life as can disengagement and passivity. We have the edge of a sword to balance on as we go onwards.

Painful? Frequently.

The next Journal can be downloaded in various formats here:

If you are alone
or if you are in company
and feel alone
Then listening and watching
will remind you that
YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.

Listening, not being SO busy
so involved in getting things done
or overly involved
in your own hard times
or the hard times around you.

Stop! Listen!
Together with.
and the Great Universe
will dance the Ancient Dance.

David Whyte from Laura Hope-Gill on Vimeo.

All that said, and but that I would be faultless at taking my own advice, it is onwards to cooking! I’ll be listening to ‘you all’. Happy Holidays.

Have a peaceful day, wherever you are.

At last, a moment to share this poem with you all. Turning around and coming back to yourself, recognizing yourself and knowing yourself. Make of this poem what you will. I love listening to the author reading their poem, the Irish lilt, the repetitions to add emphasis. The sentiment.

THE TRUELOVE
by David Whyte

There is a faith in loving fiercely
the one who is rightfully yours,
especially if you have
waited years and especially
if part of you never believed
you could deserve this
loved and beckoning hand
held out to you this way.

I am thinking of faith now
and the testaments of loneliness
and what we feel we are
worthy of in this world.

Years ago in the Hebrides,
I remember an old man
who walked every morning
on the grey stones
to the shore of baying seals,
who would press his hat
to his chest in the blustering
salt wind and say his prayer
to the turbulent Jesus
hidden in the water,

and I think of the story
of the storm and everyone
waking and seeing
the distant
yet familiar figure
far across the water
calling to them

and how we are all
preparing for that
abrupt waking,
and that calling,
and that moment
we have to say yes,
except it will
not come so grandly
so Biblically
but more subtly
and intimately in the face
of the one you know
you have to love

so that when
we finally step out of the boat
toward them, we find
everything holds
us, and everything confirms
our courage, and if you wanted
to drown you could,
but you don’t
because finally
after all this struggle
and all these years
you simply don’t want to
any more
you’ve simply had enough
of drowning
and you want to live and you
want to love and you will
walk across any territory
and any darkness
however fluid and however
dangerous to take the
one hand you know
belongs in yours.