Libations Friday! 4 September 2009

Featured today is a photo-rich new poem: Soul Journey and, of course, a cute coffee cartoon that seemed to be a good fit when talking about the magical in life! :)

From Denny: For the past year or so my poems have been evolving into photo-rich ones. I tend to settle on a theme and then go searching through flickr for some wonderful photographers to promote. Two of my favorites as "go to guys" for anything mystical for spiritual inspiration and thought-provoking are alicepopkorn and h.koppdelaney, both from Germany.

They generously offer much of their excellent work in the Creative Commons area, with only the stipulation of attribution and a link back to their flickr page. When you place photos from this area of flickr be sure to read all the stipulations as many times the photographers don't want commercial publications to profit from their work. Otherwise, you are free to display their work like on StumbleUpon blogs!

Coffee Cartoon with Creative Commons license



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It took a life time of study and experience to write this poem! If I were to leave this life today I would be happy this one poem could be my legacy...


Soul Journey



Sometimes we banish our best friend
When our awareness is young but
Our soul returns again and again
Offering daily help and new insight



Sometimes we deny our soul
Withering into the cold slowly
Our soul waits and pines to
Be free of its confining prison



Sometimes we loose our soul
When we choose to love another
Our soul rejoices to live abundantly
Offering kindness to spread around



Sometimes events sadly happen
When love goes wrong and ends
Our soul weeps to be joined again
Giving us strength to begin anew



Sometimes we are perplexed by life’s absurdity
The love heart confounds us, shattering fantasies
Our soul plunges the dark abyss of emotions to
Lift us back to safe ground and new understanding



Sometimes we revel in the wonderment
Transfixed by the starring moment
Our soul celebrates our latest discovery
Guarding carefully our dreaming time



Sometimes we are in tune with Nature
Inhabiting that perfect place of serenity
Our soul sighs in the beauty of resting union
Observing us present in Time with eternity



Sometimes we are out of tune with everything
Insisting upon our own pleasure and willful way
Our soul extends us a loving patient hand
Guiding us at a slower pace until we peacefully agree



Sometimes we rise up on new inspirations
Secure in the larger awareness of soul
Our soul gently cradles our expanding minds
Waiting, assisting in our next evolving step



Sometimes we suddenly conceive what is beyond us
Yearning to reach new dimensions undiscovered
Our soul cheers our efforts no matter how small
Protecting our new knowledge now conscious



Sometimes when reaching high too fast
Frightened of intense emotions flood rising
Our soul descends to cover with darkness
Quieting our fears, steadying us once more



Sometimes as we learn our inner depths
Struggling against all odds for illumination
Our soul warms us with healing inner fire
Powering us mightily for the Transition



Sometimes there are spiritual leaps forward
Forcefully exploding within and without
Our soul glimmers with rising anticipation
Savoring soon our completed inner union



Sometimes we are stressed to nearly breaking
Agonizing over the temporary and unimportant
Our soul braves the chaos of inner darkness to
Pull us back from the brink of wrong surrender



Sometimes we live as if disappearing invisible
Wandering and stumbling in the shifting fog
Our soul calls us, encouraging return to Hope
Singing soothing words on our long journey



Sometimes we turn inward ferociously
Blocking a world too much coming our way
Our soul cocoons us ever silent and vigilant
Rocking us sweetly on the churning stormy waters



Sometimes our ego performs painfully under many masks
Role playing for decades, often an entire life time
Our soul suffocates, groaning under heavy pretense
Stripping down unworthy deception and hiding lies



Sometimes we reach so high we forget how greedy
Grasping is not the same as eagerly reaching
Our soul steers us once more toward respect
Standing still with layering Time to greet us



Sometimes we arrive triumphant at our destination
Harmonized with Eternity’s shimmering playground
Our soul relaxes and melts into simple ecstasy
Knowing we will now turn back for others


Denny Lyon
Copyright 3 September 2009
All Rights Reserved

Thanks for visiting - and subscribing to this blog, everyone! Have a great Labor Day weekend and have fun!

For a couple of more photo-rich poems, go here and here.

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Photo Credits

Friendship Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Cold Soul Photo by Hamed Parham @ flickr

Whispering Secrets Photo by HAMED MASOUMI @ flickr

Tears: Baptism of the Soul Photo by honikum @ flickr

A Matter of the Heart Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

U will never know wonderment photo by honikum @ flickr

Serene photo by honikum @ flickr

You need to know what really happened photo by honikum @ flickr

Inspiration Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Next dimension photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Feelings flying too high Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Book of transition Photo by alicepopkorn @ flickr

Lightness photo by alicepopkorn @ flickr

Surrender Photo by alicepopkorn @ flickr

Invisible Photo by alicepopkorn @ flickr

The Introvert Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Ego Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Present in the Now Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Spiritual Grace Photo by h.koppdelaney @ flickr

Libations Friday! Poem: Keeping the Peace

Now on to the Friday poem. True to my partial Spanish heritage - OK, diluted by a few generations of American mutt - still burns the passionate flame of spirit.

It’s interesting the path a person takes to the making of a write, in this case a poem. Early this morning I went over to my StumbleUpon blog page to see what my friends have been putting up on the site. BTW, I’m known as warriorkitty. If you are over there, and would enjoy becoming a friend, be glad to include you! Shoot me a message that you came over from this blog. Just click on the warriorkitty link above.

The StumbleUpon site often gives me inspiration for a blog post and today I got lucky. A friend, rodie151, had put up a post from the Quantum Learning blog about finding balance in your life. Rodie does a lot of pages on self-improvement and finds the most intriguing places to visit.

Well, spiritual things are right up my alley, so, I took a look. Wonderful piece of personal illumination from which others can benefit! You can find “Balancing on the Top of the World” post on The Healing Waters blog. Just right click and pull it up in a new window for easier navigation, go here.

Of course, during the day I was thinking about his post and my thoughts went to the subject of Peace and the many stages mankind has endeavored over the centuries to achieve Peace. Those two people helped birth a new poem this afternoon, thanks, guys! Life really is a team effort!

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Keeping the Peace


As I wander this world
Peering into intimate spaces,
Meeting new faces,
I wonder.

As I wander this world
Witnessing war-strewn nations,
Saddened faces,
I wonder.

As I wander this world
Shocked by copious injustices,
Exhausted faces,
I wonder.

As I watch this world of
Warring nations,
Outraged leaders,
Complaining religions,
Squabbling families,
Fuming individuals,
Is it any wonder?

Where is Peace?

Harmony:
Living
Breathing
Here, now, in this world.

Tranquility:
Available any time,
Day or night,
Here, now, in this world.

Welcoming
Serenity, I am.
Alive, present
Here, now, in this world.

Freedom from strife,
Here, now in this world.
Look within for
Keeping the Peace.


By Denny Lyon
Copyright 2 April 2009
All Rights Reserved

Photo of two peace doves by left-hand @ flickr

For a related article by Denny Lyon: Great Peace Quotes with Great Photos, go here.

The Little Girl Giant

The passing of a StumbleUpon friend:



Hello to friends of "Crminks," many of you knew her as Wren. Heaven has a new and beautiful angel. A sudden welcome. She asked to say "thank you" and "good-bye" to her StumbleUpon friends, but there was no time. So, from those of us who knew and loved her, I dedicate the following video to her, and from her to you. --Alexandria, her friend. ("A4Crminks")

http://crminks.stumbleupon.com/

From Denny: Crminks is definitely doing the Happy Dance in Heaven these days! From Belgium but loved America's Texas, goodbye Wren. You left buckets full of showering goodwill behind.

Interesting choice of a doll who came to life - symbolic of so many people who don't wake up from their lives until a significant moment that causes them to suddenly realize they are just awakened to true life. Glad to be number 50 to tell the world about your lovely self!


Wren as Crminks on StumbleUpon died 6 March 2009.

Her quote:

"We are the music makers
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world forever, it seems. "

~ Arthur O'Shaughnessy