The only constant in life is change. My body and cells are always changing, evolving, growing, working, and dying. My mind and emotions shape-shift. It’s important to remind myself that none of them are mine. Nope. None of the things I love or hate about myself or my experience exist beyond this very moment. A [...]
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Disguised in her black hoodie , barely-slept, emotional and unkempt, she approached Immigration. The way of her walk exposed her slightly cocky bravado. It said I’ve done this before in a fearless and very American manner. She strode to the desk and greeted the official with mock-warmness. She had been to England before, to visit [...]
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The church gymnasium was mostly empty. Colored lights diffused to a dreamlike ambiance transforming a simple room into a place where anything can happen. A few people milled about, stretching and sighing. I couldn’t help but notice how comfortable they appeared in their own skin. One by one, as more arrived, we formed a standing [...]
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Deep within the jungle of my unconscious mind a long-limbed spider monkey swings from the rafters of a bamboo hut. Fueled by frustration she erratically sways from one beam to the next. Her fingers and tail powerfully grip the smooth bamboo poles. Her graceful movements tell a story. First soft and steady, syncopated rhythms resound. [...]
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Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving. It doesn’t matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vow a hundred times. Come, yet again, come, come. – Rumi
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If you know me at all, you know I have major emotional connections to the food I eat. The plethora of books available about “What to eat” and “How to eat” tells me that many other people struggle with food, too. In the past, if I was feeling bad, sad, mad or just something didn’t [...]
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For years I’ve been using my mother’s suburban house, as many people do, as a jumping-off point for travel endeavors. Returning home isn’t easy. Sure, there are free hot showers, people speaking the same language as me (although it often doesn’t feel like that), friends to laugh with, and family to squeeze and smooch. But, [...]
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Don’t unstring the bow. I am your four-feathered arrow that has not been used yet. I am a strong knifeblade word, not some if or maybe, dissolving in air. I am sunlight slicing the dark. Who made this night? A forge deep in the earth-mud. What is the body? Endurance. What is love? Gratitude. What [...]
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A massive ceremonial fire bathes in the sunlight of this riverside land. Now at the height of the dry season, the river is just a mess of smooth stones, teasing us with the possibility of cool fresh relief. Two round, wide wooden frames sit beside the fire, low to the ground, and bound with red [...]
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The stars poke holes in the blackest night sky. Ideas about self-empowerment, beauty in the breakdown, and dancing mercilessly into the void shine through. The stars appear united from behind. One cohesive blinding light. Justice, love, truth manifested. They poke holes in our being, our utter blackness, our own singular point, our void. The night [...]
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MRumianowski