CLOSING IN by Pranada Comtois

On my fiftieth birthday I was walking on the shore of the Atlantic ocean and spotted a diver in the water...

I immediately remembered my days of scuba diving off the coast of Santo Domingo when I was sixteen. The gulf of years between sixteen and fifty became pronounced, but even more poignantly, I realized that it was time for me to accept that I had passed through youth.

It was a stark, sinking sensation of moving from denial into an uncomfortable truth.

This is the first poem I ever wrote. I had never thought of myself as a poet, and the thought of writing a poem never occurred to me. These lines came out spontaneously. I felt quite awkward when my esteemed writing friend, a poet herself, declared me "Poet Pranada," but her confidence in me gave me permission to write other poems.

My relationship with my writing mentor has convinced me that each of us women should go out of our way to help each other find our voice and release it into the world.

Closing In

Diver bobbing

In grey-brown-green water

red & white flag moving

almost imperceptibly

like years wearing out a body.

Waves rush into yellow-brown crests

that peak and crash

into tan caps

that struggle against

a south-easterly wind

whipping

the flap-edge of the silver umbrella

into a wrestle sound,

softer than

branches & twigs

against a window pane

more soothing than

the physic jolt

this instant

grown into a moment,

several strung together into minutes

stopped sudden

facing stark

youth is gone forever.

(May 3, 2008)

Pranada Comtois spent two decades immersed as a contemplative-ascetic in an ashram, and the next twenty years raising a family and running two multi-million dollar businesses with the intention of embodying practical spirituality in the world. She brings the wisdom of multiple traditions and lessons from her own practice into her writing and speaking. Pranada is a spiritual activist who advocates for the Way of the Feminine Divine and the practice of unconditional love in daily life for personal and community transformation (Bhakti). She blogs at Little Ways of Being and is passionate about empowering women to find their unique gifts, voices, and strengths and to usher them into the world. Connect with her 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!~

Comments

IMAGINE A WOMAN by Patricia Lynn Reilly

This poem invites you to look upon yourself with loving kindness… Gazing at your own true reflection, you will discover that everything you have longed for “out there” is already within you! I invite you to love your creativity fiercely. Faithfully plant seeds, allowing under-the-ground dormant seasons, nurturing your creative garden with love and gratitude. In the fullness of time, the green growing things thrust forth from the ground. It's a faithful, trustworthy process. AND it takes time and patience. Blessed is the fruit of your creative womb! I invite you to trust your vision of the world and express it. With wonder and delight, paint a picture, create a dance, write a book, and make up a song. To give expression to your creative impulses is as natural as your breathing. Create in your own language, imagery, and movement. Follow no script. Do not be limited by the customary way things have been expressed. Your creative intuition is original. Gather

THE JOURNEY by Mary Oliver

Today we honor Mary Oliver (1936-2019) and all the words she left behind. May they inspire you on your journey! Excerpt from Mary Oliver’s book Long Life: Essays and Other Writings : "Poets must read and study... but, also, they must learn to tilt and whisper, shout, or dance, each in his or her own way, or we might just as well copy the old books. But, no, that would never do, for always the new self swimming around in the old world feels itself uniquely verbal. And that is just the point: how the world, moist and bountiful, calls to each of us to make a new and serious response. That's the big question, the one the world throws at you every morning. 'Here you are, alive. Would you like to make a comment?'" The Journey By Mary Oliver One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice-- though the whole house began to tremble and you felt the old tug

STILL I RISE by Maya Angelou

Six years ago, I had the privilege of listening to Maya Angelou speak live on the value of poetry at the University of Florida. I share these reflections with you again today, in honor of her birthday. I was relieved to get one of the last seats available for this rare event, having arrived at five for Maya Angelou ’s free speech at eight. The historically long line began with people settled into beach chairs in winter coats busying themselves on tablets, or eating sandwiches for dinner. As helicopters hovered above and newscasters below, I felt the excitement of realizing that thousands of people were gathering together to hear an eighty four year old black woman recite her poetry! Maya Angelou speaking at University of Florida on Feb. 27, 2013 When the curtain rose -after an overflow of hundreds were sent away- we lucky ones on the inside greeted Maya with a standing ovation, as she smiled sweetly, beginning her talk using metaphors from nature. Maya asked that we

Journey of the Heart

Search This Blog