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FREE TO BE YOU by Camilla Downs

 I feel as if the poems I write are from nature and shared through my heart and fingers…

My poems are inspired by nature photographs made by me. I sit with a photograph, ask what I am to share, touch my fingers to the keyboard, close my eyes, and let the message flow. It is as if nothing else exists when I'm in this flow. It is almost always aligned with something I am in the midst of personally, and will usually answer or clarify an issue for me.

This poem was written the morning after I attended a local show by The Alchemist Theatre. The theme of the show was Providence. We all took white stones, were walked through a beautiful prayer/meditation at which time the name or image that appeared for us was our "name". We then wrote this name on the white stone.

The message shared with me that night is that I am supposed to plant seeds of loving-kindness wherever I go and these poems are part of that. This served more as confirmation as I've known for a while I was supposed to do this, yet, was unclear on how.

"Love Seed" is the name that came to me during meditation. For quite some time I've been dancing in and out of my own darkness and shadows. I experienced a shift that night.This is the message I wrote to the members of Alchemist. "It is when we are in the depths of our own darkness, we can rest assured the light and solutions are simply awaiting our embrace of said darkness, for the light will shine, shine, shine once we patiently dance with the darkness."

The next day I sat with this picture of trees (below) I took in the summer of 2016 and thought, "What do you have to share?" This poem is nature's message to me and anyone else to whom it speaks and one of the many love seeds I am to plant.
Photograph "Between Trees" by the author, Camilla Downs


Free to Be You
by Camilla Downs

Light and peace
await you dear one.
I know this is
your heart's desire.

It's there.
It never leaves you.
It cannot leave you
for it is what you are.

The light is the Source.
And you are the light.

At times you choose
to recede into the darkness,
and disconnect from the Light.

Pass through the darkness,
you must,
if you wish to
emerge into the light.
The darkness can always
be transcended.

And emerge you will.
Emerging into the light.
Merging with the light.

BEing the light.
You will know this.
You will feel it.
As the light embraces you
and becomes you,
all else will lift
and you shall be set free.

Free to be you,
free to come home
to the true you,
free to share divine love
in the way only you can share.

Come,
Be in the glory
of peace and light
for this is your inheritance.

Ever there,
Patiently waiting
for your awakening. 

Pictured is the author, Camilla Downs


Camilla Downs is a mom to two, a writer, poet, artist, and nature photographer. She is nearly twenty years into a spiritual journey of releasing fears, releasing “the way it’s supposed to be done”, awakening to her true self, and the knowing of why she is here. Camilla is also certified as a coach and Reiki practitioner. She is passionate about reading, creative vegetarian cooking, meditating, unschooling, going for walks, living in a tiny home, and practicing mindfulness and emotional connection. Though she had never intended on writing poetry, in the summer of 2016, while posting a nature photograph, a surprising poem gushed forth. Camilla’s first memoir, “D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance, touches on her ten-year marriage and becoming a special needs parent; as well as a single parent. Fifteen year old daughter, Lillian, has a chromosome abnormality called 18p-. Camilla’s second published book, “Biggest Little Photographer“, co-authored with her eleven-year old son, Thomas, is a collection of Thomas’ photographs taken during a 365 photo project. Her poems will soon be published in a book titled, Lessons from Nature. You may connect with Camilla via her website, facebook, instagram, twitter, or email to CamillaDowns@gmail.com


~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!~

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