The Soul Blooms

Backyard zinnias and cosmos in full bloom 2009

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Full Bloom 24 January 8, 2017

If we listen to our deep wisdom and 
follow where it leads, after years, 
we reach full bloom. There’s no way
to evade this. The soul blooms, 
then the body. It’s that simple.
–Full Bloom 1

We live in difficult times, but we’re 
up to them if we keep hope alive, rev up 
our ingenuity, trust our deep places, and 
allow ourselves to reach full bloom.
–Full Bloom 9

Full bloom means we’re closer to death,
Part of life, yet it feels like the enemy.
If we’ve done our work, even death
need not disturb us. Many kind people
now have their eyes on me. I will be
alone but not abandoned. I have the
knack of letting people in if they want
to know how I do it, even though I
myself don’t know. Ultimately, the
things we most want to know elude us,
hide their treasures even when we
experience revelation. How do I even
make the walk to the hen house when
I am prone to falling? Slowly, one 
careful step at a time, holding on,
walking on unsullied snow, my mind
on the hens still in darkness. I let in
some light, leave the north-facing shutters
up until the sun is stronger. They stay in,
fear their now white yard. Later I’ll
scatter stale bread to coax them outside.
The neighborhood birds, feathers fluffed,
dart at the feeder. Sunflower seeds keep
them alive. I have the heat pump, the
woodstove and wood I cut or was given, 
blankets, warm clothes, hot tea, my inner
beacon leading me where I’m, for some
reason, determined to go.