Better Than Perfect

Practice never really makes perfect.

You will be tested over and again,
and even the thousandth time
you will be far from perfect.

Do not be discouraged,
for there is something better than perfect:
Progress.

Practice so the next time
the winds of uncertainty howl
you will bend and sway,
but you will settle at your center
sooner than the last time
so they won't blow you entirely off course.

Practice so the next time
the rip tide of fear catches you
you will struggle,
but you will surrender
sooner than the last time
so it won't drag you to the darkest depths.

And when you stumble,
when you are blown or dragged
further than you would have hoped,
do not be discouraged.

These are simply opportunities to practice,
and practice makes progress.

Unexpected

Isn’t it astonishing,
the wonders we uncover
when we dare to look at another
with an open heart?

Amazing to discover
that behind those bright and playful eyes
rests a gravity that can pull you
instantly to the center of it all.

Incredible to find
that behind that firm, broad chest
beats the most expansive and softest
of tender hearts.

Astounding to recognize
that behind a lifetime of
unfamiliar experiences
lies a soul so like your own.

Unbelievable to realize
that what you thought
you’d search the world over to find
was just down the road all along.

Trinity

The rhythmic roar of the ocean tide, 
the steady presence of the ancient mountain,
the wondrous glow of the full harvest moon.

Such power in each to
lift the burden of man's heart,
to remind him
he is at once
infinite and infinitesimal. 

The ocean, the mountain, the moon.
A day of deep connection
with this sacred trine
leaves me feeling exquisitely alive.

What a beautiful life.

I Can Tell You This

I cannot do it for you,
but I can tell you this:

To find what you seek,
you must do the work.

Walk the path, however slowly.
Move. Be still.
Speak up. Go deep.

Purge, heave, sob.
Tear open your own heart
and let all the darkness bleed out of you.
Make room for the light to pour in.

Day after day, drop the expectations.
Take the bushels of shame off your back.
Set them down. Walk away.
Repeat.

Scatter your stories in the dust.
Say "thank you." Let them go.
Keep going.

In time, tiny magical moments
will creep into your days.

You will see clearly
and find light in every darkness.

You will feel the pulse
of the universe in your very veins.

You will stand taller in your bones
than ever before.

You will feel intensely alive,
and you will have done it all on your own.

Then, and only then,
when you least expect it,
an arm around your waist
will feel like freedom,
and you'll break into a run,
laughing at the sky,
every other step barely skimming the ground,
the path ahead paved in possibility.

Come Along

Come along, come along!

There are places
on this blue earth
we are meant to be,
hand-in-hand.

There is work to be done,
love to be made,
stories to be told.

There are wounds to mend,
hearts to crack open,
fires to kindle.

There is nothing to fear,
no more time to waste.

The divine, she calls.
Move into it. Step forward.

Come along, come along, come along.

Onward

I jumped and I did not fall.
I flew.
Just like all those promises said I would.

Some days I soar.
Some days I swoop so low
the tips of my wings brush the water
and I know if I stopped moving forward
for even a second
I would be wet and heavy and sinking.

So, onward.

Some days I'd give anything
for a soft place to land,
but the stars say not yet.
Perhaps I haven't broken in these wings
well enough to know for certain
that if I folded them to rest
I would have the strength to unfurl them
and fly once again.

Until then, onward.

Tell Me

Tell me, can you taste it,
my promise on your lips?
I left it for safekeeping
the last time that we kissed.
It is this:
I can go along,
stand strong,
sing my own song,
and still belong
to you.
And I do.