The Waves (of Grief...and Grace)

the saying goes

that Grief comes

in Waves

and those Words

contain expansive Oceans

of Wisdom...

so why then

do i try

to control

how and when

those Waves fly

and fall

instead of going

with the ebbs

and flows

of Tidal runs

(like the Dancing

of Doubting

and Believing always

knows and shows

the Way)

and simply receiving

what the Ocean

naturally provides

(remembering my youth

where i met

The Waves

with both fears

and fascinating Joy

deep yearning

and emancipating Hope

learning the Rhythms

and reading

the turbulent Tides

to know when

to dive

under Their thunder

just to survive 

Their power

and when They

were engendering more

exhilarating Rides

and my irrational

yet understandable fears

once submerged

then emerged (one

could say Surf-aced)

and converged

with my tears

in an Embrace 

of Salty 

and Sacred Grace

by the Face

of Love)?

so why not

allow the Waves

of Grief

to crash on

the sandy Shores

of Loss

or ruddy Rocks 

covered with regrets

like moss

yet also filled

with hidden Life

beneath strife

serving as solid

places to rest

or stand

for seagulls and

egrets waiting to 

take Flight

and safe spaces 

to express that 

neverending Love 

without pretending and

sending It out

knowing It

has nowhere and 

no place left 

to go?

so while We

are groping through

the mist

of the Memories

and Hoping in

the midst

of the pain

of the losing

of Beloveds

as We surrender

to the thunder

in Wonder

and listen to

the Wisdom of

The Waves

in the Ocean

of Majestic Motion

in Love

may We always

remember there is

no need

to give Ourselves

some kind of

guilty shove

into the Tide

and there is

no shame 

in our choosing

when to refrain

or Ride

and as We

let the tears

and fears

of endless years

more Naturally and

Supernaturally Flow

They will Show

Us the Way

to Go...

#320wordprayers #CryingInGriefSighingForReliefAndTryingToListenToTheWisdomOfTheWaves #LetThemFlowAndTheyWillShowTheWayToGo 

('The Calm Within the Storm' © NovaSpiritWolf)

YOU and ME and WE

In all of my silliness,

you've laughed with me.

In all of my sullenness,

you've sat with me.

In all of my madness,

you've centered me.

In all of my sadness,

you've comforted me.

And through it all,

you've reminded me

in all of our seasons

all of the reasons

we have been given

for Joyfulness and Gladness

and helped me see

the Ever-Presence

of the Greatest

Present of All...

the Love of Christ

that gives us Life

the Light of Christ

that gives us Hope

the Spirit of Christ

that lives in us

and through us

that guides us onward

into whatever is next

while inviting us

to pay attention 

to whatever is right

in front of us.

Thank you

for Being YOU

and helping me

to Be ME

journeying more deeply

into what it means

to be WE.

i Love you

for Eternity

to Infinity

and Beyond...

bri

(for Kir)

#150wordsongs #ValentinesDay2026 #LoveIsLessSenitmentalAndMoreSubstantial #InLoveThereIsNoUsAndThemOnlyWe

Dream Into Reality (MLK Day 2026)

amidst all the forces

surging from Our

love of power

that make it seem

like we are destined

for endless divorces

through apoplectic derision

into permanent division

and apocalyptic destruction 

the fear and hatred

saturating our senses

like poison that courses

through what remains

of our system that 

shrivels and strains 

life-giving causeways

into varicose veins

threatening impending fatality

in ultimate finality...

Thank You, Brother Martin

for eternally urging Us

to remember Our

love of power

is no match for

the Power of Love

and reminding Us

from beyond the grave

(and within our Hearts)

that the Beautiful Dream

is still infinitely Alive

as an imminent Vision

of One People

with countless Expressions

and bountiful Character

and despite all appearances

and inhumane interferences

It is being birthed 

into more than 

a beautiful Dream

but a Beloved Reality...

Let It Be.

#140wordprayers #MLKDay2026 #WeAreOne #WeAreTheBelovedCommunity #TheDreamIsStillAliveAndIsBeingBirthedIntoReality

('Power to the People ' (detail) © John August Swanson)

Compartmentalization as Integration (New Years 2026)

within the dawning chill and thrill

of this first New Day of the New Year

(which We meet and greet 

with yawning and yearning)

may All Beloved Creatures and Creation

(the Ones flailing in frantic fear enacting trauma 

and the Ones incurring and enduring it)

both be inclusively

Seen and Cherished

Accepted and Embraced

Nourished and Nurtured

Housed and Hallowed

Clothed and Celebrated

Precious and Protected

Held and Healed

from discrimination and disease and despair

as We All buzz around and amongst Each Other

amidst our churning in frustration

and our serving in faithful Loving Care

like the busy Bees We can

sometimes obsessively be

may We remember that We Are Each 

a Part of the same honey-creating Hive 

with Gifts to share

Vitality to create

Wisdom to teach

along our Eternal Journey of learning

how there is Love burning 

within each Blessed Heart

and with all Our differences 

of conviction and perception

may We realize

that We remain 

One Beloved Incarnation

Whose Hearts all Beat the same

Whose Lungs all Breathe the same

and yet Who each are embodying

a unique Story

adding essential Beauty

to the Whole

sentient Beings set Free to Be

less concerned about Who isn't Loving Us 

and more compelled by Whom We are Loving 

and Living less towards Hope 

like a resolution merely to be kept

and more like a Way of Being and Breathing

when everything else leaves us believing

that there is no Hope left

Emptiness and Absence 

that reveals Presence

empowering Us together

in Our distinct yet interdependent compartments

to interrelate and emanate the Glory

of Being Alive...

Let It Be.

#270wordprayers #HappyNewYear2026 #HopeLessAsWishingForAndMoreAsLivingInto #WisdomFromSamKeenAndStevenKoskiAndDavidDeStenoFTW

(Art: Back side of my favourite Xmas gift this year...a long sleeve t-shirt, created by Kirsten and gifted by Ian. :)

Beyond words

what happens next

when Your Soul

is utterly bereft

when You have

no more Rays

of Inspiration left

to call upon

no more Wells

of Creativity within

to draw upon

no more Spells

of Spirit to 

unleash or unfurl

no more Ways

to bring Hopeful

words or wishes

to our hurting

Hearts and World?

maybe You take

a deep Breath

and allow It

to reassure You

that You're alive

and You exist

not merely to

stave off death

and wearily survive

but to Breathe

more essential Life

into our World

in Your own

very special Way...

maybe You shed

some traumatic Tears

and allow Them

to roll down

your swollen cheeks

and slip silently

into your ears

(recognizing and releasing 

Your somatic fears)

and rain down

into Sacred Soil

of the World

upon which You

prayerfully, carefully Lay...

maybe You light

one simple candle

and allow It

to tentatively flicker

yet persistently glow

to courageously show

that We are 

numinous and numerous

Stars that shine

as the Light

of the World

illumining the Luminous

Night as Day...

maybe You touch

the hurting Heart

of another Beloved

with Your Heart

in Mindful Attention

Face to Face

and allow That

to create Space

to relieve tension

and reveal Grace

reminding Us that

We are Beloved

and We Belong

in this World

as Living Words

that embody Love

Beyond what words

can ever say...

what happens Today?

Let All Go...

Let It Be.

#240wordprayers #Advent2025 #LuminousDarknessGloriousLight #TakeTheBreath #ShedTheTears #LightTheCandles #TouchTheHearts #BeTheLoveYouAlreadyAre

('Beyond Words' © Anne Marie Zilberman)

Faithful Folly

in times where 

the squeakiest wheels
get the grease
of attention
and release
may we all 

receive the Gift 

of Faithful Folly

and Miraculous Mirth
given to jolly
old St. Zech(araiah)
who wondered how
the heck his ancient
seed and Liz's weary
womb might conceive
a precious Possibility

becoming a Reality
and found his ancient
tongue ceased
as sacred Silence
increased within
and Transformed 

his ancient wound 

into his Womb

of Rebirth...

Let It Be.

#75wordprayers #Advent2025 #LukeChapterOne #ImpossibilitiesContainTheSeedsOfPossiblities

('Annunciation to Zechariah' © Lauren Wright Pittman)

Leftovers

in a Land

of more than

Plenty where it 

remains a Mystery

how tables filled

with Compassionate Charity

and wholehearted Abundance

and harvested Hope

one Day become

trails of tyrannical 

terror based upon

a maniacal myth

of hardhearted scarcity

darkening the next

trampling Our Interdependency

in the redundancy 

of conspicuous consumption

leaving Our Senses

perplexed and Our 

Sensibilities utterly vexed

with nothing left

but the leftovers 

from the Celebrations

filling Our fridges

after filling Our

Selves into unconsciousness 

whilst memories of

Those needing comfort 

this dark Day

empty out of 

Our blurry consciences

and are left

grieving and bereft

of essential provisions

yet They remain

an Essential Part

of the Heart

of Our Community

amidst our thirst

to be thought

of as first

and far better

than the rest

(an innate insecurity

that puts Others

rather than Ourselves

to the test)

may Our Vision

reflect the Clarity

that recognizes Wisdom

within the foolishness

and Dignity within

each overlooked Incarnation

may Our Communication

be less like

Our slurry speech

at the end

of the party

and more like

the Sacred Fables

and Songs sung

around Our tables

and may Our

Connections and Interactions

be driven less

by the forces

that lead Us

to additional courses

of savory satisfaction

(momentarily quelling the 

the perpetual rumblies

in Our tumblies)

and empowered more 

by the Spirit

of Divine Love

that Celebrates All

Beloveds as Precious

(especially Those Who

are so often

Leftover for last

Who in Reality

are humbly and

simply the Best)...

Amen.

#250wordprayers #ThankfulNovember #NoBuyFriday #LongerTablesNotHigherWalls #GivingAndLivingEveryDayInLove

(Artwork © Syracuse Cultural Works)