Living In The Eye of The Storm, Approaching The Jewish High Holiday Season 5773

Living In The Eye of The Storm

Isaac son of sacrifice

an angel showed the way

appointed ram for Avaraham's hand

the father's son was saved

when one believes it's personal

so honest with ones self

if this we know, no argument

believing is our health

the storm of minds, the storms of earth

it's real to those who see

though eyes do tire of the light

the minds eye view does heed-

I've known so many little things

I've also known some small

and in this life that's given me

will never know it all

and so I say to me and you

this storm of Isaac named

it brings on wind, and rain, and gloom

of this the sun rays say

believe we will in what was taught

but most in what we've learned

we know what's deep, the winds do speak

the calmness is what's heard

and though I take such baby steps

alight upon the course

will stand as best a person can

an eye within the storm

~

Have been thinking of the communities & individuals that have been in the path of Hurricane Issac. We wish you all safety and healing from this & all life's storms.

~amen~

And so completes today's posting of the Peace Garden's~ Poetry A Muse In Motion, project.

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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

My Forest Speaks

Good Day Peace Garden "peeps", it's so nice to be back.~

Yesterday my husband & I traveled into the neck of the woods were our son's fam* lives. Our grandson was turning a decade yesterday & we wanted to be sure that we were there in person on his special day to celebrate once again his entry into the world. So without fanfare this Nana & Poppy took our grandson out in the afternoon for some old fashioned ice cream & a right-on hole in one miniature golf game. It was a lot of fun, & we really did enjoy our little threesome! That evening we joined the rest of our son's fam* consisting of him, our lovely daughter-in-law, 8 year old granddaughter, & the newly decade old birthday boy for an Aussie dinner at the Outback. The very same restaurant where the birthday boy's dad worked when he was attending college.

It was of course the first phase of birthday season for him, for next will come our grandson's friends party, & later on in September the big extended family party. My son Tyler & I were seated next to one another last night during dinner & he said, "You know mom, I've noticed there hasn't been a lot of activity on the blog lately." "That's true I replied", as I've had some very heavy serious issues that he of course has known all about. "The ongoing situation has been pretty much zapping a lot of my creative energy, plus I don't want to put anything out there that is negative, as it's been a very hard time." Tyler went on to sort of tweak me stating, "Oh you just want to share only the good things, & not be honest about sharing some of the negative things in your life.."

I thought of course what it was he said during dinner, as later that night I was on the phone with my dear friend Marge, & expressed to her some of what came from Tyler's & my conversation. She & I were in agreement of not wanting to put anything out there that could be deemed negative. Late this morning during one of our many power outages, I continued to think about all of this & decided that if I were to put pencil to paper once again, & perhaps write a poem that could honestly express what it is I've been feeling regarding a situation that has been ongoing now since the very end of 2011, then perhaps through this process I would be able to continue to make some sense as we human beings have a tendency to want to make sense out of the chaos of our own lives, that perhaps I would be able to be courageous enough to share what it is, that's brought me to this point. So here goes, it's a bit lengthy, but says what needs to be said, it is as honest & true as I know how to be, & really does speak for it's self.

After some in depth musings it's title took on it's own voice, & of which it titled it's self~

My Forest Speaks

We have been through this some-what before

of what it is, is what~

a thin existence of an act

a veil, a life, a that

you of a former grandeur time

gray crack upon your floor

such discontented roles we've played

yours glamorous and bold

and I made meek yet strong beneath

a hand that swung to hurt

they say the wiring's all been done

your system what a curse

now grows a tree from family times

uprooted and unhinged

it's untruths permeate the soil

yet toil is what we did

for I for you, and you for me

an illness grew so strong

magnificent in shapes and hues

and rages of your storms

you have it still, upheaval days

though less your impact stings

my love that you have given life

what great despair within

as generations follow since

the wounds are carried deep

I weep no more, I do weep some

as family sagas meet

upon the roads of varied turns

of this way and of that

it's fostered hurts divisions deep

so fragile in each crack

can't tell where it will lead us to

my path it leads towards hope

with prayerful thoughts forgiveness be

it is a mindful scope

can't say I'd choose this way again

if I had known the traps

but after all, when illness strikes it leaves a body flat

no matter what, I've no regrets

to do what's best for you

and will take care to live my life

respect the golden rule

my family has exceptions

our tree it suffered rot

from so far was abandonment

and violence from that lot

and now these times are grayer

some do, some don't, do care

but I will do my best for you

our hearts know will be there

will never be the victim

of powers you deemed great

and if some others copied you

that is a choice they make

instead I've chosen kindness straight

though times misunderstood

am only human, person one

your tree does still confuse

but that is of an illness of which not all can see

afflictions deep

at times roots weep

grow forth a life that's sweet.

~

Yes it's been a long time coming, the continuation from my forest of thoughts, but all in all no matter what an individual has experienced with each & every breath we do have choice, & today my choice was to write a poem, & to share.

And so completes today's ongoing process of living a life, & the ongoing project of~

Poetry A Muse In Motion.

Open Spaces Sacred Places

‎"The creation of a thousand forests is one acorn."– Ralph Waldo Emerson

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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

August A Slo-o-ow Down Time Here In The Garden

I'm really not a summertime gal, so for me to say August is a slow time in the garden, is a truth. Though I did mulch & mulch three truck loads that is, nonetheless nothing to speak of for new plantings, as it was far too hot for a venture like that. The mulching as told was slow & steady, with insects galore to put off any urbanite of which I no longer am. I did have to apply some skin so soft, off bug repellent, & don a jungle-like hat with a net. My assemblage sculpture Rosie ll morphed into a Transistor Sister keeping my portable radio in good tune due to her metal colander head. All in all it was a productive month, & by the time our family gathered last weekend the Peace Garden down on our slope looked well kept, & interesting with it's more complete theme of Swords Into Plowshares positioned to capture the imagination.

This Peace Gardening month of August was topped off with a most special & beautiful gift only yesterday from our cousins in Dallas, as they sent to me something quite unique, a Peace Key which now resides in the garden as a valued reminder to the gateway to the mind, of what truly unlocks our potential for peace. It does & always has come from within.

The following poem is dedicated to our cousins,

Burt & Missy Finger

of

PDNB

A most interesting, thought provoking Photography Gallery in Dallas, Texas.

{we*so*love*you}

the key to peace

is

peace

~

And so concludes today's Peace Garden entry, & with that we forever, & a dream~ wish you & all the world peacefulness in thoughts, & deeds.

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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Friendship Intertwined With Universal Thought~

The first two photos are of an ongoing work entitled~

Friendship Intertwined With Universal Thought

This mixed media piece was inspired by the recent passing of a very special person in our Town of Pomfret, Ct.

Mary Patenaude

Mary was a true one of a kind, as her name so suited her. She was always friendly, kind & generous of heart. She passed away less than a week ago on 8/19/12 in a tragic boating accident off the coast of Long Island Sound.

I couldn't say that we were friends of the kind of friendship that most of us consider a friend to be, yet she was far more than an acquaintance, as I had only just spoken to her on the phone about six weeks ago or so in regards to inquiring about some of the details of our town's upcoming Tricentennial event, as Mary was very involved in so very much of what makes our little neck of the woods so very special.

As I was painting two nights ago & was doing my splattering experimental thing, & then adding my mother-in-law's broken depression glass tea cup, I thought of Mary...

of what a sweet, & lovely person I have always known her to be. It will take some time for the hearts to heal of those she was very close to, of whom we an entire town offer our prayerful thoughts of love & healing. I too shall miss her, as for me she represented patience & compassion, with her gift giving of her time of kindly indulgence whenever I would make the point of stopping at her local business that specialized in quality wines of the world, & even the more local wines sought after for one of my family's special religous holidays.

I will be reminded of my thoughts of Mary as I continue to layer the above collage, & truly that's one of the main ingredients of what a life can be about, ~

our universal intertwining with one another,

please help us God.

~amen~

Am finally working once again in my own studio in the woods. The space is really quite a mess, & hopefully before it gets too cold I'll have it all sorted out so the area will once again be a soothing retreat of creativity. I'll pick away at it of course, & get it all sorted out. Until then will also doodle a bit, with fiber, paint & board & dig deep as the boxes are piled high with stuff upon stuff, of which I do realise not all of it is useful or worth saving.

So for the meantime would like to leave you with a few pics of what's been in the works..

Have a good end of August one & all & will remain prayerfully hopeful to return again with another posting from the garden.

Here's wishing one & all true peace,

of what makes peace.

~amen again, amen~

~

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© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Swords Into Plowshares An Ancient Concept Living & Breathing

Here it is just about late summer. August does remind us of that so very well. The gardens that I've presently been tending here on good ole terra firma have always paralleled my own inner life. Isn't that true for us all? There's a lot of beauty & color here along the way yet also a per mingling of over growth such as the briers, prickers & weeds. For me it has always been a reminder of that inner balance with nature, my nature~

What to keep? What to remove? How much energy do I have? Where do I want to invest it?

And last, but not least, how to ask for help?

This Personhood we all live is by nature subject to the ups, downs & upheavals of life's storms. It is inevitable as we see it in nature all the time. We too are an element of her & therefore will continue to experience upheavals throughout a lifetime. How it will turn out for us is a matter of the decisions we make, & how we choose to color them with our perspectives.

I too as any human being take it one step at a time, one forward, & also a step or two back, & forward again trying to allow myself the freedom of non contaminating thoughts, which is an immense effort. Our work is set out for us on each & every path. For without compassion the concept of world peace will remain just that a good idea. But good ideas have been known to flourish & bloom, & one garden at a time is a fulfilling start. As we work on ourselves to be as Gandhi said, "the change we want to see in the world", we are doing what it is we are intended to do with our own lives.

The first two photos were taken earlier this summer during our visit to the-

National Arboretum, Washington, D.C.

of which our son so lovingly arranged for us.

Please feel free to share this link http://thepeacegarden.blogspot.com/

© Mother Lightning of Mother Lightning's Peace Garden

Dalai Lama~

"Developing concern for others, thinking of them as part of us, brings self-confidence, reduces our sense of suspicion and mistrust, and enables us to develop a calm mind."