Category Archives: Essays

a moment’s fall from grace

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‘twas a detour from
grace that raised
the demons of my
deepest fears…in
a second i let my
eyes shift from
sacred moments to
regretful yesterdays
and hopeless futures,
my present drowning
in a sea of unanswerable
questions, when?
where? who? what?
why?

it’s an understandable
misstep, my scatterbrained
tendency to follow
the cacophony of
voyeuristic busybodies,
like a moth to flame,
knocks me off
center singeing my
fickle flesh, disconnecting
me from my core, leaving
me breathless. ‘tis true
in the midst of catastrophic
distractions i forget to
breathe and lose all
mindfulness.

but the moment, ever
present, waits in the wings
of my thrashing fright,
a heartbeat’s breath
near, to wrap me in
blissful embrace from
the immediacy of nothingness
into the radiant epiphany
of pure love, peace and
knowing. to breathe,
just breathe is all this
present moment asks
to deliver me home.

kat ~ 31 Aug 2015


Multi-tasking…A Six Word Story


Multi-tasking overwhelms mindfulness…a true story.

TBC…

I just realized this morning that I have been going a mile-a-minute for the past few weeks.  “Just realized” is a sad statement on the current condition of my goal to live mindfully…embracing each moment.  In my corporate job multi-tasking is a prized attribute. A buzzword that looks impressive on a resume and if executed earns kudos in job reviews, but it can get the best of me if I’m not careful. How did I even squeeze out enough time to consider that I had fallen off the wagon? Well, I rather think it was the Moment tapping me on the shoulder. I started to feel uninspired, frustrated, and hurried, even though I did not have any particular place to be. And I am sorry to say I suffered for several days in this uneasiness until I figured it out. Losing the interest to write brought me full-face to the pavement. Wow! How did I let myself get so out of balance?

It’s a slippery slope as they say. And while I’d like to blame it on my daytime job, I can’t. My workdays are always busy, running into each other with hardly a break from one day to the next. No, the onus is entirely on me, my will and my lack of attention and determination to eek out the space and time to be in those moments that sustain me.  Not to mention, remembering to breathe. And not the unconscious in and out whiffs that we all do without thinking.  No, it’s the “stop what I’m doing, focus on my center, deep inhale, slow exhale breathing” I’m talking about. It’s something I desperately need.

So, what is the solution? How do I get back on track?

First, I need to shed the idea that moments and finding them are spontaneous little magic miracles that just happen taking me by surprise. Even though moments and miracles happen every second of every day, they don’t become “my” moments unless I am paying attention. And incredibly, because they are happening everywhere, all the time, just waiting to be discovered, all I need to do is stop…breathe…and open my eyes. There is no limit to what each moment holds and each precious one is ours for the taking…and embracing!

Second, I need to stop taking things that don’t matter so seriously. I mean, SERIOUSLY, a year from now…or a month from now, or even tomorrow, will whatever it is that I’m angsting over really matter? If not, then I need to learn to let it go. To empty my mind to make room for the good stuff. It is impossible to live the optimistic, positive life I have chosen for myself without doing a little housecleaning on a regular basis.

And Third, I need stop beating myself up over losing my way. It’s not the end of the world after all to have slipped a bit …unless it is actually the end of the world, but I am convinced that even then, there will be something amazing to reflect on in the moment. Because moments are like that. Moments are infinite blessings with no beginning or end…eternal bliss.

And with that, I shall bid you adieu.  I have a long-overdue appointment with a moment that I cannot miss. It’s going to be amazing.  I just know it!

kat


a treasure trove for seekers

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she is the wind, tossing
whispers of hair, bending
green canopies, rousing
wild tempests

her voice is a purr,
it is unabashed laughter,
birdsong and brook
bubbles, dissonant bliss

droplets of ocean and
stardust on moonbeams,
a fragrant, delectable
feast for the senses

bloodborne, arterial,
dew infused breath,
flesh covered sinew
imprinted in dust

found in each moment
palpable, fleeting,
a sparkling implosion
for those paying attention.

kat ~ august 2015


incandescence


i remember the
delicate curve
of her neck softened
by wisps of baby-fine
amber hair that glistened
in the pale streams of
midday sun…wafts
of lavender … or
was it just a remnant
hint of Yardley’s soap
that danced
on air?

I remember
thinking to myself…
i know why
he loves her.

kat 2015


Credo…In Times Like These…

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If you’re paying attention, the current political climate has become impossibly ludicrous. Politicians bought and sold to the highest bidder, average folks be damned. When I spend too much time watching the news or reading commentary I find myself losing ground in my goal to live mindfully, in gratitude, inhabiting each precious moment. Worry, fear, and downright disbelief at what some charlatans are seemingly getting away with at the expense of our nation…and ultimately our world, causes me to forget to breathe. And of course, it’s miserably downhill from there. Breathing, as we all know is kind of important.

To calm myself, I have come up with a Credo (Latin for “I Believe”) list to remind me that there are certain truths I can depend on. Goals not too lofty or impossible to realize. Simple basics that I know are possible, that I trust are possible if enough of us believe. This little list is something I intend to refer to, (even if just line by line as a situation arises) and repeat like a mantra, to bring me back to the moment, to sanity, to remind me to breathe, and to guide me to gratefulness for the goodness that exists, even if it’s hard to perceive it in the cacophony of the absurdity around me.

In times like these…
I believe in the inherent goodness of humanity.
I believe the paths that guide our moral compasses are many, equally inspiring when they draw us to the light.
I believe that truth will ultimately win over spin and dishonesty.
I believe it is possible to exist with our neighbors in peace, bypassing war through diplomacy.
I believe we can care for our sick, our poor, and our outcasts without taking from another.
I believe that hard working people deserve to be paid a living wage.
I believe justice will prevail when we leave aside our egos and come to the table.
I believe that civil liberty and freedom are our birthrights, not to be dictated by arbitrary belief systems.
I believe we owe it to our Mother, Earth, to care for her waterways, her greenways and her skyways.
I believe in educating our young to carry our legacy of innovation into the future, without burdening their futures in the process.
I believe in honoring those who’ve served us in war, calamity and peace by providing basic care and sustenance for as long as they have need.
I believe we owe gentle end of life care to our aging elders, basic security of shelter, health and food.
I believe in supporting life in all of its stages, not just its embryonic beginnings.
I believe in families, large and small, organic and blended, in various flavors, colors and varieties, where love is key and the only thing that matters.
I believe one day we will look beyond our differences, acknowledging the common thread that binds us together as one race, one family.
And because I believe, no amount of lunacy or madness can dissuade me…
And because I believe, I have hope.