Disaster blows the blinders off

 

Some colleagues and I spent the afternoon exploring resilience in the face of disaster. We noticed that disaster takes place an many scales – the heart attack the demands a new normal in an individual, or a tsunami or fire that rips through a whole city or country. Whenever this happens, we somehow bounce back, stronger and more connected with each other.

Here’s a poem caught as we began our conversation today:

 

Disaster blows the blinders off

my place

my body

then a practice grows

touching stories

mine and others

of strength

of energy

of smiling

on a journey of

witnessing

 

_____ _____ _____

Yet another transition

 

A couple weeks ago, some colleagues and I gathering to begin a conversation about how we could work together around resilience and adaptability in our lives and communities. Here’s a poem that surfaced as a result of that conversation:

 

Yet another transition 

another fucking transition

an end for a beginning

where kin matter

where the  story you carry matters

because it shapes how you show

your self

so who are you shadow boxing?

yes, its scary to pay attention

to what’s happening now

to flick the switch on

alone or together

and to have the future we want

the light must be on

let’s take turns waking up

to sustain awakeness

 

______ ______ _____