Umbilical Cords

How many umbilical cords do I have

And what are they good for?

I had one physical one that latched me to my mother

And maybe to a thread that streamed between her

And ancestors, galactic beings, her god

But, when I was born that physical cord was sliced

Shocking and shaking me to my core

At least she held me closely for awhile

This umbilical cord gave me life

I had another physical umbilical cord

One that attached me to the child inside me

Along with a thread between me

And the ancestors, galactic beings, and goddesses

Until the birth and the startling separation began

Shocking and shaking me to my core

A huge loss, much like my first separation as a baby

This time though, my job was to give birth to human life

And, I could still stay attached closely, at least for awhile

This umbilical cord gave my child life

And me, new life

Emotionally and energetically

I have had lots of "umbilical" cords

Floating between me and other beings

But after the first few emotional cords 

Got ripped away from me or lacerated by me

In unpleasant, disastrous fashions

I pulled back in some of these cords and 

Kept them inside in cold storage

Protecting myself as best I could

Until I felt the urge to pull out one or two and 

Reconnect with the world, people, and beasts

Testing the waters every now and then

Sometimes letting more cords flow out

Sometimes pulling them back in

Sometimes they'd snap off just because

An expert tells me

I need to cut my energetic umbilical cord

With my mother

Is that true? 

I wonder why?

If I lop off that energetic umbilical cord

That human lifetime-lasting one

Then who am I?

How do I swing through life

Without a tether to hold me safely to a sturdy anchor

Rusted though that mooring may be?

Oh yes, I get it, an anchor can also be restraining

Restrictive, providing a too-tight cage for me so that

My wings are clipped, although

My wings sometimes feel very full and free, but

I don’t fly much, not really

I am used to this old anchor with my mother

Since I have been attached to it (and her) 

ALL OF MY LIFE and

It feels so familiar, why mess with it?

If it ain’t broke, why try to fix it?

Oh, suffering, yes, that can be a problem

Frustration due to limitations and rules I put on myself

Because of my still being attached to my mother

Or to my family, or to society's beliefs, my harbors

I get that

I hear from inside me:

"Be sure to knot the cord 

Before biting through it!"

So what about the unknown?

How about floating through the rest of my life

Untethered, except to the cosmos

To the ocean and Mother Earth

The gods and goddesses

To spirits, sprites and fairies

To ancestors and everything on

And around this earth?

Do I chop off a cord and hook it up to 

Some other various sized anchors

Live in the midst of a web of harbors

Beings, entities, stars, moons

Waters, fires, soil, minerals, gases, and even air?

Will that keep me stuck or free me, or

Will a spider come eat me?

Do Spirit guides and divine energies connect 

With my human body and 

Hold me close for not just awhile

But for forever, eternally?

With the Divine Mystery's assistance

Can I pull together all of my

Listless and loosely hanging

Umbilical cords back into the portal of my body, into my naval

And let them grow inside me, healing, loving and

Securing me, sturdy that I have become

Experiencing joy, pain, love, and one day death

When I finally detach from this physical human body?

Then, all my umbilical cords will wrap around my soul 

Dissolve, disappear, or evaporate

As I fly off to a wondrous and no longer mysterious place

From which we all came

Returning to the delight, the paradise, the space

And place where all beings are joined together 

Energies flowing all around between us

Blending, merging, wandering through 

And becoming energies of Love and Spirit 

No longer separated

Or, maybe we have actually been 

Love and Spirit all along 

During our human lives

So no need to become them
Already are them

No longer needing to tether

Because we are all One

A union, communion of souls

Gathering together, and as One

Holding lightly and gently onto

Other human umbilical cords

To those who still live on Earth in bodies 

While they hope to attach to something

That holds them closely and safely

For awhile, as well as liberating them

To live fully, fly high 

And then, one day join us

When and where we are all 

So very free

The Good News

What if our purpose in life is only

What we are - and not just

What we aspire to do?

So many people are searching for their 

Life purposes

As have I

In order to feel like we are 

Good People

Caring, worthy, and kind

We seem to need to measure ourselves

Against some criteria, some 

Observational data, and

Evaluate our actions

What if we gave up 

Let go of

The belief

That we must perform well

In order to be lovable or

Loved?

What if just by being

As we are, who we are

That is all that we need

All that our world needs

All that any Divinity seeks?

Not to take tasks off the table

Not to assume we don’t need 

And want to care about and for others

(And, ourselves)

But, what if we didn’t push ourselves

So Hard

Because we think we are not

Inherently or innately

Good Enough?

An old religious story tells us 

We need to punish ourselves

Or atone for our sins somehow

Get saved from who we are

(And, sure we all make mistakes

But maybe…)

What if we wake up each day feeling

Bathed in love and peace and grace

And walk into our worlds

(Or stay at home)

Exuding those characteristics?

We might feel better and 

Even act better 

A long process

To disengage

To detach from our

Long held beliefs

That we are somehow

Bad, unlovable and

All alone

Fearful of death

Fearful of life

Maybe we can free ourselves

Not of being human

But from all the layers of

Judgment and beliefs

That keep us restricted and

Restrained from the

Joy and Beauty of 

Eternal Love 

The Good News!

Severing Attachment

I want you* to leave me now

But part of me 

Loathes to see you go

I think I should detach from you

And if I don't, I may die

Or I may wither into a 

Collapsed violet bloom

I realize that I have been dragging

You around all of my life

And it is time for that to stop

For my better health and well-being

What does it matter to you

If I let you go

Push you away

Will it hurt your feelings

Make you mad

Surely so

And, if not, why did I 

Hang on for so long?

Because you helped me to survive

Even to thrive in the past

You protected me, kept me safe 

I appreciate you for all you've done

I really do

And now, I need to move on

And don't want you to come with me

Yes, you will always be a part of my past

And I may miss you

But, the freedom and liberation 

Of this release, this disengagement

Will be full of bliss and knowing

That I can live more peacefully and gently

Without you who has been so ever-present

To me in this lifetime

I relied on you perhaps far too long

And now, it is time

To cut the cord

To pull it back 

To my heart and body

Opening up to the 
Great Mystery

The Wondrous change

The Sacred Metamorphosis

I am enjoying now

Thank you

*"you" can be anything from a pattern to a person, from a coping skill or defense to an object of desire, a supposed need, or a womb. Or, something else.

Good Grief

Grief

Not just about starving babies and children

Not just about those who get bullied or killed

Just because

My grief is not just about losing family members

And loved ones to other states of being or venues

Not just about early childhood and whatever neglect

Or traumas this little body and heart experienced

No

Grief is much more than that

It socks me in the gut

Knocks me down to my knees

To grovel on the ground

To cry and scream

Feeling powerless and 

Unable to change

Some of what I would like to 

Change

That's the real grief

That I don't have control over

My body

My time

My energy

My loved ones

The world, its people

Its animals and other beings

Who suffer so much

Not much control at all

That's just true about being human

And though, that doesn't mean

I will stop trying to correct

Some of the hurtful things I do

Or say. I can try to influence what

Other people do or say that can

Crucify others

Injure and damage others but

No one seems to be able 

To change all that

I can leap into the spiritual realm

And try to stay there for as long

As possible, knowing

Feeling that we are intimately

Connected within and to the Divine

Merging in bliss

I can live there in

That bright white delicious place

Sometimes plummeting back to

Earth again

Beginning anew with good intentions and

A far better mood about life and love

Only to find myself cascading once 

Again to the tyrannies of technology

To the oppression I see and feel all around me

I sometimes slip into my most judgmental parts

Ot rather into hell, I call it

Good Grief is setting the stage

I hear these words, “Arise!

Keep connected to humans

To other beings

To the Divine

You can bring more 

Joy, more bliss, more love 

To all the world, Mother Earth

To the galaxies and to the

Infinite cosmos herself

You are eternal”

Inside those words I find my purpose

Why I came here in the first place

To improve my health and well-being

To contribute, to gather and

Connect with all living beings

Collaborate with others

Spread goodness, compassion and 

Love all around 

Everywhere I go

As a gardener

A midwife

A mother

A friend

Part of a community

A participant in all that is

Sharing seeds of what I know

And who I am

What I have learned about, like

How we can all live better

Creating more satisfying lives

More often

Good Grief

Not just for the faint of heart

Just another side of Love

Creating a whole 

The Holy