CULTIVATING THE WATCHER by Anita Brown

 I now refer to them as my Tribe…

Yes, the 40 wonderful women I met last month while away at a Kripalu manifestation retreat have become my tribe.  We support one another on our "secret" Facebook page through encouragement around jobs, relationships, writing, personal growth and health. Real friendships have formed and are growing. It is a beautiful place to check in and touch base.  

One lovely gal named Ginette is dreaming of starting her own vegetable farm in her community and really turning it into a full-time way to support herself and her family.

 I had been turning over the title of my next poem "Cultivating the watcher" in my head for a few weeks, when I sat down to write and realized that Ginette's dream was inspiring me.  As I crafted words around the farming theme, this is the creative message that came through.  I hope you like it!  And please support your local farmers.

Cultivating the Watcher

Once upon a time, I misidentified and

sowed into an entity

of another name

maybe we'll call her the migrant stranger

or

the "dreamer"

the one

who labels

and partitions

she toils

in dusty clay

a sluggish and

sleepy pasture

the tares flourishing

all the while

easily damaged

by a stiff breeze

or errant plow

not known for stability or maturity

the remains imploring to be

fertilized

reconstructed

till the soil

near the iron ore

chain link!

now there's a sturdy

framework

from which to hang

your worry

anger

and cowardice

But I live and reap in the field

of both weed and wheat

truth and pestilence

all is coming
without expectation of harvest

Anita Brown is a content mother of two teenagers and wife of 20 years, both of which she is grateful for every day. She began writing poetry in the fall of 2012 after a mini-breakdown cracked open her heart and allowed this newly found gift to shine through. Many months later, she is realizing the truth in the saying that ‘breakdown equals spiritual awakening’ as she is pleasantly shocked at how much more peace she has in her spirit and how that is reflected in her life.  Anita loves yoga, dancing, traveling, cooking, walking her golden Sierra, and quiet evenings at home. She especially enjoys teaching meditation to under-served communities and listening to others as they express the same joy at the transformation occurring from such simple but regular practice.

~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~