Day 15 - Original
Pen Play: A poem-a-day writer's retreat in June
Hey beauties, we’re rounding the corner into our final week here. Welcome to Day 15!
As before, I want to highlight all of you in this powerful, beautiful community: If you’re reading this, especially via email, and you haven’t checked out the comments yet, I encourage you to do so! There’s so much treasure there - beautiful poetry and uplifting reflections alike :)
I was sitting out on the back porch writing this, as ever inspired gazing into the council of trees that keep watch over this beautiful house tucked away in rural Virginia (being home, I feel I have written so many poems about this stillness and this greenery, and will continue to haha). I felt the breeze blow and all was quiet except the birds softly carrying on their business.
I want to keep it shorter today and simply leave you all with the thought inspired by this moment: the lives we live are original lives because day after day, they keep going; because we create new as we grow, and we always grow; because being human means certain creativity, certain awareness, and certain connection that simply makes it so.
We are original not only because of our unique individuality, but also because of our humanity. Despite the intensity of being human these days, Original is nonetheless incredibly subtle, a wisp of something feather-like that governs our operations. It’s a unique quality I couldn’t quite pin down in my contemplations today - and I guess that’s fitting. So here is the painting of one impression in its shifts.
What does Original, or being original, mean to you?
I want to thank
for inspiring me to try out this new format - prose poetry - for today’s piece. It’s very interesting. Suits the essence today. I think I quite like it 😁Much love, all <3
Original
Everything starts fresh again, and everything starts fresh. When the wind rustles the trees, when the birds twitter in the woods amongst each other, when the grass grows and shines green, when the season gets hotter, when the world photosynthesizes, there’s nothing that’s left behind, nothing left unopened. Today is a good day. Today is a rainy day. Today the sun is beaming. And such, we start again. We enjoy again. We observe again. We learn again. We grow, again. We live, original, every morning, because our pathways never close, our trajectories never end. We wake, every morning, charged with our potential, no less spent than the day before, or the day before that one. We are bound, as humans, to keep growing and glowing, because that is the sacred act we came here to fulfill. We are charged to carry on, in every fiber of every cell, charged to yield to the floodgates spilling, stretching from the foundation to the heavenly furthermore. We are, effortlessly, fiercely, persistently, indeterminably, inevitably, abundantly, explosively, supremely original, and that is what you must best. That is what you must expand. That is what you must master.
If you’re enjoying the experience so far, share the retreat with friends who may also want to play with their poetry and read beautiful works from our community.
Or, if you’re new, subscribe to Joy Journeys to get these prompts daily to your inbox:
Original
The proclamation came at an early age: we are born with original sin. We are sinners from the start. Even the young, unformed, still brain shaping young child thought “This can’t be true.” It is not a sin to be born. It is a blessing, and we flow from the great love and energy of the divine universal. Holy Cow, Amen. No mean talking, finger pointing, angry talking teacher can lead me otherwise. Creation is a blessing. Life is a blessing. Our unique bodies, minds, spirits, identities, beingness are original. First and only editions. Priceless. As original as each sparkling bloom of lavender in the garden. The fields. My heart. Each precious moment is an original spark on this journey; each caring touch is a revelation. Each gentle word a prayer. Each magnificent love a true wonder. I am original. You are original. We are original. “Original Blessings”*, created in love and goodness and meant to flourish and shine especially in our imperfection. Spirit bless our origins, our original harmony, our original joy.
• A term framed by Rev. Matthew Fox, and written of beautifully in his book “Original Blessing.”
Just yesterday, I had the urge to try writing prose poetry for the same reason! I ended up changing my mind about yesterday's poem, but I was hoping to try again soon, and couldn't resist after reading the prompt today:
I think it's when I attempt to have an "original" thought that I find myself at a loss for words. Striving for an idea that I can unwind and weave with magic leaves me grasping at air, gasping at the dried-up well of words, wondering if there were ever any to begin with, or if I merely imagined them - but then, that's exactly what I did, isn't it?
Breathed them into life. Brought them into being through some spark, like the big bang. They say hope springs eternal; so flow the streams of inspiration, spilling forth from some internal reservoir replete with imagination. If I listen, I can hear them invite me to wade in.