Moving Water - 2021

I love to put my feet
into moving water.
Sometimes I swim,
look underwater for communion
with rainbow trout
deep in rocky pools.

Or on the surface,
I commune with turtles
and butterflies sunning
on the rocky edge.

I stand in moving water
I watch to listen...
aware of Divinity inside
and outside of me.

Then I dance
on the river rocks
under my feet -
sometime deep.
9/16/2021

Our Inner Space, A Receiving Place

I had a thought
it came to me one day
with sharp clarity. I was
surprised to see
its face when it came
quitely to claim its space

amid my thoughts
one question I have often
had, "is how to find truth,
to know what God says?"
Yes, "how do I hear
that still small voice
inside my mind,
do I have a choice?"

Since we were all created
with an inner wo/man,
we have an inner ear,
intended to "listen" within.

S/he created a space,
yes an inner place
for humans to receive
God-thoughts
internally.
Frequently communing
with our Divine friend,
because s/he desiresfellowship with all women and men.

Now exactly what new thought
came to me
about living and listening
to the Divine internally?

I realized we have to nourish
this place, our inner space
this receiving place
to catch Spirit seed - thoughts
for understanding to rest.

We were also created with a need
for humans to be filled
continually with Divine energy.
 
Wordless prayer - presence is sought
by us, sitting, standing in Love
is often quite enough
for our receiving place - in our
inner space - to find direction
or comfort in our daily race.

Now I know where that place may be
inside my head where I can feel Divine peace
and I sense God is near.
Where I experience Presence,
I feel the Spirit right here,
in both of my temples,
sensitive anatomy,
related to places of worship
found on earth's geography?
called the sixth chakra by others I hear
where intuition and intelligence
are felt strongly here. 


Held in draft form since 3/18/2015

WATER -- WORDS - A Contemplative Poem

My mother used to tell us that
"if you plant in the water you harvest in the water."
This was metaphorical, to help us to be like water
that brings forth life and healing, that cleans,
and nourishes; the water the showers everyone everywhere.
- Beatrice Kanaka

"Water-Words"

Hello Beatrice... (my Kenyan friend living far away in Minnesota) Refreshing faith - falls from your lips; "water-words" give life! Health springs from your breath; strength builds - opens vision, understanding – perception, of God-Love actions. Encourages ones with open ears… ones that can "hear" the wind-Spirit blow strongly, (seems to whisper… yet speaks clearly) life-messages... to humans with trained mind-ears. Thank you Lord for open mind-ears ; Thank you Lord I hear; Thank you Lord this open mouth speaks... lovely "water-words" to me. Claudia - after a July 1st 2012 Phone Conversation -

POETRY SPEAKS AGAIN

GOD SPEAKS in a gentle whisper... as POETRY SPEAKS again!
by CLAUDIA edit 3/27/2011

Modeled on 1 Kings 19: 7
The angel of the LORD came and spoke to Elijah sleeping under a broom bush, hiding
in the wilderness...

"Get up and read, for the journey is too much for you." So I got up and ate the Words written in the ancient scrolls:
wise lyrical words, some of them poems.
Strengthened by this sweetness, like heavenly manna for it had a taste
of honey, I traveled
until I reached the destination directed to meet,
on Horeb, the mountain.
There I settled down, to rest, to reflect,
to listen for a Word, to hear a personal, specific healing, poetic message.

GOD said: “Go out and seek poetry on the earth -
in the places I will take you -
for the LORD is about to pass by...
He is speaking another time - in new venues
and places, to spiritual seekers in new spaces.

So I looked and found Poetry Slam,
with much loudness and rhyme,
but for me GOD was not there.

Then I found the Open Mic, where poetry of all types
was proclaimed for precise purpose;
but the Spirit did not speak specifically to me.

SO I looked once more, and I found Performance Poetry
in everyday places... new theater, actors speaking truth
in body and verse, to say and to explain many things,
to expose unrighteousness and pain.

Words in Rhyme used to bring about great change,
but often one instead felt sadness and shame… so I asked:
“does GOD speak or desire to meet me in this way?”

After all of this poetic noise, in the market place,
I went to look for empty spaces... on the mountain,
in the desert, cathedral, abbey, art museum,
and park - where there was space between words.

And here I found a Sabbath Rest,
a place for peacefulness;
and here I heard poetry speak its peace;
between the lines, within the words,
inside those hymns and chants. Paintings too
sent forth loud praise - I visually heard through
colors, forms and lines.

And as these proclaimed compellingly,
through metaphor and line,
I perceived the Spirit speak:
specifically, directly, quietly...
insightfully inside,
into my soul.

CLAUDIA
July 2010
Edit March 26, 2011