I’m perplexed and delighted each
time I can let myself venture into a streambed of poetic pensiveness. This poem
was conceived one such morning. The rain spoke a language all of its own and
welcomed me to join in. Slipping softly into the syncopated rhythm, the leaves
sang harmony and the wind was a sentient wave of mystery; I started to dance to
the images in the full feeling of heart. The words found paper, next to the
sink, and I began to write. Absentmindedly, I rinsed this poem through a load
of laundry but the words clung to the paper and let me dry them in light
breeze. Only slightly faded, I managed to decipher my pencil scribbles. It was
the bones of a poem that needed tender editing. Here’s what I wrote:
A Rain Dance of Love
by Carolyn Riker
I danced in the rain,
unlike I ever knew
a scent of freshly rinsed
linen
rushed through.
My feet became the
earth
and my hair the wind,
my skin became petals
of rose.
I was the colors of spring’s
rebirthing.
I coveted the
unfolding
of my sacred
awareness;
a transcendence began
and unveiled
an inner presence.
My edges of succulent
blues
unfurled to a core of
feathered
persimmon and tantalizing
layers
and gilded winged
hues.
Transparent
hummingbirds flew
from my heart and
mouth;
each bestowed tiny
seashells
laid lovingly abreast,
where
my soul’s shy nakedness
grew.
I was gifted with
eyes of spirits
both ancient and new;
and joined in a
Shakti dance
of a thousand goddesses
draped in silk ferns of
fresh morning dew!
Our hips swayed, with
hands uplifted;
it was a dance of
loving ourselves anew.
Tears of joyful eloquence
chanted
a harmony of opal and
emerald mist.
And the voices, a singing
bowl my heart knew.
 |
| Photography by Chanel Baran |
Carolyn Riker M.A., LMHC is a counselor, teacher, writer and poet. She’s been a regular columnist for Rebelle Society and prior to that several years at Elephant Journal. A collection of her work is available on her blog, Magic of Stardust and Words. Her poetry and prose has been featured in three books: Journey of the Heart: An Anthology of Spiritual Poetry by Women. Where Journeys Meet: The Voice of Women's Poetry and Best of Rebelle Society, Volume I: Celebrating the Art of Being Alive. Between sips of coffee or tea and navigating life, Carolyn leads journal writing workshops, tutoring and has a private counseling practice. Additionally, she’s in the process of completing her first collection of poetry and prose. With the hopes of continued lunar inspiration and stars guiding her light, the book will be published in the fall of 2016. Carolyn can be reached via her e-mail address carolynra7@hotmail.com or on facebook here.
~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!~
You captured so beautiful the powerful emotions of finding yourself again - joy, grace and sheer exuberance of spirit.
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