How Can We Not?

A new poem. Scattered thoughts. A date for our January "Write Yourself Free" gathering

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No resolution could ever live up to the feeling of just being here. —James Crews

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If you haven't already read "This New Year" by James Crews, the poem I shared in last week's "Sunday Spark" post, please do yourself a favor & read it. I have decided that it is my guiding poem for this new year. Whole loaves of joy—yes please. James, thank you again.

Click HERE to read James' beautiful poem, to listen to me read James' poem, & for a powerful invitation to write your own words (with James' poem as a spark). 

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Imagine if we decide to step into this new year, not with lofty resolutions, not with the focus on doing more, being more, accomplishing more, but simply with the intention on being all the way here. Here, right where we are.

Imagine if we trust, really trust, that all next steps become clear when we are deeply rooted right where our good feet are planted? When we listen deeply to the quiet beneath the noise, the noise, the noise. 

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Speaking of noise, my gosh. The world is so loud & ugly right now, so loud and ugly that it is easy to push our art aside, claiming that it is not important in a world that is quite literally on fire. 

And still, the sun rises and sets. Still, the songbirds sing. Still, the maple holds so much light. Still, there is poetry.

Though I have mostly been scrolling & pacing this morning/this afternoon, consuming way too much food & horrific news, the below words came through when I stopped consuming and started creating. 

Mostly, I am struggling to find words for anything right now. 

Still, and especially now, I must keep the pen moving. It is critical that we don't allow ourselves to get tossed away.

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Image by Amie McNee

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How Can We Not?

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I want to write a poem, 
but instead, 
I am stuck here 
scrolling 
scrolling 
scrolling, 

watching videos of madmen 
with riffles, cowards disguised 
as leaders          incapable 
of telling the truth. 

I want to scream the world awake—

a scream so loud it strips 
every power-hungry coward 
of their so called power, 

a scream that screams through 
every fake 
and plastic thing, until

only kindness makes sense.

How can we make art
when the world 
has gone mad?

How can we not?

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I’m excited to share that our next Write Yourself Free class will be on Tuesday, January 20th from 4:00—6:00 pm (PST).

Click on the below image for more information & to access the class link.

I would so love it if you would join me! xo

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