As I reflected on this final weekend of March 2025, a phrase from one of Larry Morris' poems kept floating through my mind: "Heart, you belong here, woven of this Peace." The irony of this, is every day seems hit with one form of chaos or another. Devastating earth quakes in South East Asia, U.S. upheaval and sparing around the globe, severe weather warnings across the country, do not bring a sense of well-being. While Peace can unexpectedly descend on anyone, it seems to me rare that it descends collectively--at least not in a tangible way that we can name it as collective Peace. Group Peace seems to gravitate to excitement, joy and movement, as pent-up pressure is released. Yet, the inner prompt I am 'hearing' for this Sunday message remains, "Heart, you belong here, woven of this Peace." Enclosed deep within, there is a Peace beyond storms and turmoil. This is a good day, whatever may be going on, to touch it.
I did take a little time to search my computer and books shelves for that poem to the Heart, but it stayed hidden. Instead, I came across another brief Larry poem and that was all I needed:
"Unexpected
happenings
freeing
the
mind
from
fixed
positions."
(Apples from the Tree)
As wondrous living beings, we are not fixed objects, neither is all of nature, and actually neither
is the most rigid mind you know. Unexpected events crack the facade of self certainty and push our mental structures, allowing us to rearrange our ideas. Sometimes it is a subtle unconscious shift, that stretches the framework of our minds. But other times, the mind resists, and instead rearranges a happening, or its meaning, to conform to our belief structures. Belief structures are essential to who we are and how we function as unique individuals; they have their purpose. But we are living beings that belong to the Allness of Life; we grow, we learn, we ingest and digest changes. Our "world" expands through the unexpected.
How do we move through a time of unpredictable happenings? Let the happenings spiritually loosen your fixity enough to discover/recover inner Peace. That Peace has Woven your Heart. That Heart is your guidance system, and your healing. Trust THAT. (Susan Nettleton)
https://allpoetry.com/poem/16531910-I-pick-a-path-with-heart-by-Joseph-Moon
https://predmore.blogspot.com/2023/12/poem-immersion-by-denise-levertov.html
https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/Poets/T/TheophantheR/Imageshoweve/index.html