Poetry and Nan's Soul

Refuge in the Quiet

I lay myself down

on the welcoming

ground, the earth's

spine becoming mine.

Peace seeps into

heavy limbs and

slows my heartbeat

to the pace of

nature.  I take refuge

in the quiet, and let

my burdens go,

one by one, until

the earth and I

both float in the

same vast and

holy silence.

Danna Faulds

The other day, I was asked who my favorite poet was and I laughed out loud.  Sure I could have said Rumi or Hafiz, Mary Oliver or David Whyte, but my immediate connection is a sister of my heart, Nancy.  Through her yoga classes, Nancy is always sharing poems by various poets.  The poems she chooses automatically resonate with me.  The poems are always enhanced by the gentle tone of her voice and her perfect cadence. Phrases innocently float into the relaxed mind.  No wonder her business is entitled, Timeless Gentle Yoga! 

It takes a special gift to be able to write poetry.  If you think not, then you must have the gift!  Even when I read poetry, silently to myself, it is not quite as lovely as hearing it framed in the words of my friend.  I have always 'chased' poems, trying to find ones that seemed special to me.  It would not take long for frustration to put an end to my search.  I am fortunate these past years, to be on the receiving end as my friend delicately shares words of wonderful poets.

A poem can be harsh or gentle, or happy or sad, as the words hold the emotions of the writer.  My friend-selected poems tend to be about connecting with nature, finding a stillness to bring peaceful breathing back into life.  They tend to ease my discomfort and instill desires for new beginnings.

I am deeply grateful for the expressed words of others, and extremely thankful for the experience of the gentle spirit who dwells within Nan's soul.  

(Coming soon, Nancy's new book and cd!)