Journey of the Heart

EDITOR"S NOTE: Over a year ago, when Ayala invited me to write the Foreword for her poetry collection, titled  A Corner in the World: Holocaust Poems for My Father , I never could have imagined the horrific crisis that is unfolding in Israel and the Gaza Strip today. As such, this excerpt from the Foreword becomes especially poignant now:  Ayala's poetry speaks not only to those of Jewish ancestry, but to all others whose histories ache with ancestral genocide, war crimes, systemic racism, evil acts, etc. These bold poems are incredibly validating. They humanize victims and. . .  also set a precedent for the rest of us to start recording our own painful histories, find new ways to extract beauty from tragedy. Inevitably intimated in the pages of this book lies the following question: What do we each need to sacrifice to prevent our species from completely losing its soul?  In her anticipatory poem “It Can Happen Again,” Ayala echoes sobering words by holocaust ...

  Today, is simply, enough… by Maureen Lancaster  in times past  it couldn’t  fly fast enough; such was the  impetuousness of youth in times present  it won’t stay long enough;  such is the wisdom of  hard-earned truth the future, so unknown, never promised,  so I’ve been shown the urgent yearning for that yet to find superseded by the poignancy of the true passage of time a naive concept forever replaced as each moment is now savoured in sweet embrace angst oft felt of time’s dominion my soul may now safely rebuff, for there is peace in the knowing  that today, is simply, enough… Maureen Lancaster: Maureen is a spiritual woman who shares her life journey through her writings in hopes that her words will resonate with others who may struggle from time to time on their journey; for coming to the understanding that we are not alone was one of her most valuable lessons. She started writing as an outlet for healing and finding wholenes...

  Beacon of Peace, Bearer of Light by Carolyn Chilton Casas              ~ for lightworkers the world over Thank you for being the keeper of decency and a way pointer for us all.           I bow to the everyday kindness you humbly extend  to your fellowkind.            I feel your prayers for a bewildered world zipping through the air from all ends of the earth.                I honor the unseen work  you do for humanity  behind closed doors, bringing  wisdom to soothe confusion.                Together we unite to serve one another, and in our purpose to create a more loving place for our children  and for those yet to come.   We hold hands in a circle  across land masses and ocean...

Coming to Terms “Around here, he took his last breath” said her uniformed companion  and retreated.   the emptiness of a horrifying decade ambushed her…   slowly, softly  grief - pain - anger flowed wet the soil drenched by his blood     Spent, empty, she looked up    a glance met hers on the searing line of loss two sons dead  two mothers mourning   understanding crossed the border barbed wires became loops of compassion two knowing hearts wordlessly sealed a bond of forgiveness Shernaz Wadia  is a retired teacher now living in Pune, India.  Reading and writing poems, has been one of the means for her to embark on an inward journey. She hopes her words will bring peace, hope and light into dark corners.  Her poems have been published in many Indian and international e-journals and anthologies. She has published her own book of poems "Whispers of the Soul" and two volumes of "Tapestry Poetry - A Fusion of Two Minds" with h...

Whole Could it be we each are branches of the one tree? That love is the sap connecting us. That leaf by leaf we are woven as thread into the other, that there is no standalone limb that is not fused somehow into the trunk, and has its anchoring piece. And that the wholeness we seek is both the fullness of the body of the tree, and the completeness of our own individuality shining as a mirror, looking similar but with our points of difference, that together we might make an entirety - our own longings just the shape of ourselves reflected in the other. And to come home to ourselves is something like smiling in the dark across the embers of a fire into another's eyes, skin, face. glowing with the same heat as the dance of flame, and knowing that this countenance that shines is also our own back reflected. Akin in the way that we are all fronds of the same genus of tree, the same plant that lifts its arms, and drops its foliage, each leaf and limb through which the sap runs in spring...

  A Continuance of Change A strife-free life does not exist but in longing, like parching thirst  brings dreams of verdant streams.   It is a world forever broken open  by a continuance of change, the disruption of ordered things.   How not to lose heart? Where are the guiding signs? Can faith be enough?   Faint whisperings float by my ear, Accept what is, love the world no matter what.    Acceptance, the drumbeat that will lead me home. Carolyn Chilton Casas   is a Reiki practitioner and teacher, as well as student of metaphysics and philosophy.  Her favorite themes for writing are healing, wellness, awareness, and the spiritual journey.  Carolyn's stories and poems have appeared in  Energy, Odyssey, Reiki News Magazine,   The Art of Healing , and  The Edge  and in other publications.  You can read more of her work on Instagram at mindfulpoet_.    *For submission guidelines,  c...

Learning to Have Peace I came to the island a city lass Something clicked and moved Into a place An empty space I didn’t know was there But I started learning Some said the island hooked me But it didn’t hurt More like wrapped in nana’s arms Being told I’d found my peace With vast seas and Seas that crash or whisper I kept learning Many scoffed at this silly dream After all it’s life on an island Things are slower here Because everyone knows That to hurry makes you deaf To nature’s teachings And you never stop learning Never stop learning. ©️AilsaCawleyPoetry2020 Ailsa Cawley :   I have written since I can remember, devouring the stories of Roald Dahl under the covers by torchlight. I have always loved fairy tales, myths and magic. A good deal of the things I write has some truth in it. Others, not. You may find my writings on my website here , or follow  me on Twitter  or Facebook .    *For submission guidelines,  click here. *

  The Puzzle   My teacher believes we are each a piece of the puzzle.   Alone, we cannot resolve the chaos erupting on this planet.   Yet we can  unearth and foster  our rare true gifts  to satisfy our share  of what is vital for this world to become a kinder, more loving  home to live in. . Carolyn Chilton Casas   is a Reiki practitioner and teacher, as well as student of metaphysics and philosophy.  Her favorite themes for writing are healing, wellness, awareness, and the spiritual journey.  Carolyn's stories and poems have appeared in  Energy, Odyssey, Reiki News Magazine,   The Art of Healing , and  The Edge  and in other publications.  You can read more of her work on Instagram at mindfulpoet_.    *For submission guidelines,  click here

Deep Simplicity All the way in, you are there, have always been. I join you along the shores of our serene lake. We sit together as one, realigning in full and novel ways as ravels release once again. I settle into our  comfortable connection, feel the sturdiness of my craft.  That which once held fast, gripped hard,              pulled tightly                                 tenderly ripples away                                         in currents of quiet. I breathe                  and stretch                 ...

Peace Enters My Heart peace enters my heart though I have touched- the chaos of my living, it sometimes wears- on my soul, I settle inside, the sanctuary of the season, it clothes me in rest- I come to greet my day, with love- reaching inside, this quiet- winter morning- let it move from me, songs that echo- peace on earth, it is from my heart- a beginning is birthed, I reach- and take your hand, we enter into- our holy place, of comfort and love- of peace and grace. Art by Jeanie Tomanek  Maureen Kwiat Meshenberg   is an author and a prolific poetess. She is guided by her inner soul’s journey and her empathic musings about life. Maureen’s draws from her human experiences, bringing reflective, soulful thoughts of the heart and the shifts in life’s journey to her poetry. Her most recent work includes her own Facebook page called   Heart’s Calling  where she currently reaches almost 3,000 regular readers. She also has her own  website here. ...