https://extraordinarysunshineweaver.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/it-is-my-soul-1.m4a
The candle light
From the stained glass lamp
Reflected on the walls
Like splashes of stars
Is the lantern to my heart:
It is my Soul.
My Soul is splintering light
Splashed on the shadows of my heart,
The Beacon for my Soul
As the light draws night.
My Soul was once a fading candle
Dripping wax on my heart
And crying out to be lit.
As I light my Soul,
The hues of night
Brighten into day.
What is this dawn?
It is my Soul!
The colors of my Soul
Are hues of purple, blue, and red:
All shades of white,
All shades of black,
All shades of shades.
Without this light,
Where can I go?
‘Where you end is
Where you start.’
Fear, my guide no more;
No rowing on restless waves
Of tears that drown my heart.
Anger set the sail once ago,
But she has met a higher power:
It is my Soul!
There is no map to show me where to go.
But there’s a lamp to light my way:
It is my Soul!
And angels, if you are there,
Please tell me so.
Without this light,
Where can I go?
‘Where you end is
Where you start.’
I’ve never been alone
Though I have felt so,
Letting go my Soul.
And all my grief
Was from this point.
As I denied myself
For others’ sake.
So begins my journey
Out of harm and pain
To live and laugh again.
My Soul, my friend,
So long forgotten,
Now awakened
To the sound of my heart rising
Like the sun
On a crisp morning,
Ready to sail the heavens
On waves of heat,
Evaporating grief
And bitter dreams
From that long, dark night
Of running
From my Soul.
This spirit song represents the turmoil we often feel as we struggle to find our way to the divine. We must make the choice to affirm our Spirit and invoke it to deliver us to the truth: that by seeking the divine, we find ourselves.
Copyright © 2017 Barbara Harris Leonhard
Image: http://karenxavsphotography.blogspot.com/2011/07/candle-light.html
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Published by Meelosmom
I am a poet weaver. I love going within to excavate the bits of my soul that need reassembly into words.
I weave in other ways. I’m also a collagist, assembling snippets of images into a new whole with deep meaning. Each collage is a poem. This year, I've also started drawing neurographica, and since beginning this art therapy, I can't believe how many new connections I've been making and new opportunities. This art form has changed my life and, I believe, my poetry writing.
I can also call myself a memoirist. I have compiled a poetry collection called Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir, which is about me and my mother, who passed from complications related to Alzheimer’s in 2016. Our lives were woven together in amazing symmetry, like a collage, around our mother wounds, our near deaths, and losses that impacted our relationship. This year I found a publisher for my book - EIF (Experiments in Fiction), which is owned and operated by Ingrid Wilson. The book was the #1 Release in Family Poetry on Oct. 15, 2022, and it attained best-seller status in three poetry categories over the next few days.
In Nov. 2022, EIF nominated me for a Pushcart Prize for a poem in my book, “Mom and I Play Lassos with our Hysterectomy Scars”.
In 2021-22, I submitted poems from it with some success. One poem, “Cooking a Life with a Wire Spine”, was published as a featured work on Spillwords, and in August 2021, was nominated as Publication of the Month. Also, in September 2021, Free Verse Revolution: A literary magazine, published two other poems from my collection, “Hestia for Hire” and “Mermother: A Rogue Dream Poem”. Kristiana Reed, the editor of Free Verse Revolution: A literary magazine, kindly writes in an email, “The portrayal of a parent/child relationship in both pieces was incredibly raw and moving.” My poem "Marie Kondo Cleans My Purse at Starbuck's" was voted publication of Jan/Feb in 2022.
In June 2022, I was honored to have two poems from my collection published in what became an Amazon best-selling anthology Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women (Gabriela Marie Milton. ed., also published by EIF - Experiments in Fiction).
It is humbling that my poetry is getting recognized in other ways. In the anthology Well-Versed 2021 (available on amazon.com), “Picasso Dreams Broken Glass” won Third-Place in Poetry and “From Your Son” received Honorary Mention.
This year I've also enjoyed interviews with Eri Nelson with SheShedStudios on VloggingPod (June 2); with Victoria Onofrei for "Victoria in Verse" on Bloomsbury Radio (August 14); with Thomas Whyte for Poetry Mini Interviews (a 5-part series in August and September); with Paul Brookes for Wombwell Rainbow (July 22); and others are forthcoming.
In November, Gabriela Marie Milton asked me if I would succeed her as Editor for Masticadores USA, and I really love it!
My husband Dierik is a musician of Bluegrass, Cajun, and Country music. He's also a wonderful music teacher. We've rescued and lost many cats over the years. Our last set of three cats is now down to one, Jasper, who was the youngest of the three. JoJo and Saga sadly succumbed to cancers since the pandemic started.
Catch me at...
Facebook: Barbara Leonhard
Twitter: @Barbara.Leonhar4
Instagram: @meelosmom123
Why Extraordinary Sunshine Weaver?
Weaver is Source, who connects all things.
Strings and threads are cloth woven for wear.
Sunshine is Source, who reaches out rays
Like fingers to heat and heal,
To create Spring, spiritual connection,
To nurture Gaia,
To create rain as food,
To dream life,
To forge love
And evolve Source.
Extraordinary is this mystery.
All extends from Source as fingers of light
To nourish and thrive,
And as night falls awake so do all
Return to Source.
©2022 Barbara Leonhard
Unless otherwise stated, all published works are the original works of the author and are copyrighted. Contents of the blog may be re-used either for personal or commercial purposes, in part or whole only with permission and the author duly acknowledged with links to the blog embedded.
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July 8, 2017
Audio , Poem , Poetry
angels , ascension , Fear , God , Lamps , Light , meditation , Poetry , Prayer , soul , Soul Searching , Spirit , spiritual growth , Spirituality , Truth
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Beautiful 🙂
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Thank you!
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