This flesh enshrouds me

like a shoe that is too tight

never quite at home

I was inspired to write this after watching an interview with Ram Das, where death was likened to “taking off a shoe that is too tight” when the soul eventually leaves the dying body behind. This description resonated.

I have never entirely felt quite at home in my body, despite many sessions of body somatic therapy and meditation sessions. I wonder how many can relate to that feeling? I often still feel like a stranger resident inside of me.

Recently facing some health issues, I…

Coloured ring circling darkness

Pupil is the gate

Iris dancing with the light

Light and dark have always danced together.

We cannot have one without the other.

Each on its own is useless. Without light, there would be no shadow.

The inky darkness of the night is important to reduce exposure to stimuli and allow all to rest properly and recuperate.

The stark light of the sun is beautiful as it illuminates and energises everything it shines upon.

Within our eye, our iris expands and contracts to allow light to go through the pupil.

The pupil always looks dark due…

Haiku/Tanka prompt word “no”

Being clear about
what we will and will not do
means others relax
no need for resentments now
our heart can remain open

Prompt Word: Please submit a haiku or tanka using the prompt word “no” (or a derivative).

Welcoming contributions from:

Cheney Meaghan Dennett Tracy Aston Bart Elbey Irene Brooks Jenny N Olson Anna West Molly Skeen Sundance Kid Whistling woods edh lamport Harper Thorpe Leah J.🕊 Jac Harmony Aline Mitul Bhat Ravi Shankar Rajan Oswald Chen Mariette Hebert Cuthbert Jenkins 🍵 Susan Brearley Gosia Rokicka Leanne Kathleen Daniele Alice Evergreen Shreya Srinivas David S. Giovanni Sonier Chelsea…

Bobbing up and down

Long legs prance, wings billow white

Dance to mate for life

How many of us love to dance?

The dance rituals of birds can be fascinating, beautiful and inspirational.

Brolga birds are actually part of the crane family and are prolific in the outback desert town in the middle of Australia where I currently am working and living.

Brolga birds —

• mate for life
• engage in majestic dances every mating season (both sexes)
• are omnivorous
• usually, lay 2 eggs at a time
• build their nest in grasslands using sticks, grass and mud
• live in the…

Fragile, all in white

Can you see me standing here?

Aware of my heart

One definition of strength relates purely to physical factors such as

• relative size
• muscle mass
• weight

whilst another definition of strength refers to internal traits like

• resilience
• inner peace
• determination
• and persistence

which allow one to move forward and make calm measured decisions even in the presence of fear.

PROMPT: Please write a haiku or tanka this week using the prompt word “strength” or “strong” (or a derivative) or on the theme of strength.

Inviting contributions from the following writers/poets:

Cheney Meaghan Dennett Tracy Aston Bart…

Our national big bird

Flightless, can’t walk backwards — tall

Ee-mew is my name!

24.9 million Australians have apparently been saying the name of their national bird (The Emu) wrong according to the US National Public Radio (NPR) this week — who argued it as being “Ee — moo” to the laughter of Aussies in Australia and all around the world!

The emu is an “Ee-mew” and has always been that way until the NPR said differently.

A twitter frenzy then erupted.

Hilarious.

I have no hesitation in declaring that no Australian is ever going to start calling an emu…

The world convulses

Birth or death: we don’t yet know

Tumultuous times

A child inhales her first breath

Lungs expand and fill: we cry

Our daughter is in labour. Our new granddaughter is about to be born. We welcome her into an uncertain world.

So many species dying. So many people dying. Climate change. Mass extinctions. Peak oil. Melting ice caps. Sea level rises. Famine. Economic downturn. Pandemic. Poverty. Pain. Where is it all leading?

Only time will tell if we can reverse the downward spiral.

Whether we are witnessing the last convulsions of a dying race and dying earth…