Last September, I spent three days at a monastery in West Park, New York. My days were filled with silence, walks in nature, communing with a tree, simple meals, and following along, as best I could, to the monastic order of worship throughout the day. I had never done anything quite like this before, but I decided to go because I was craving silence and a space for reflection.
The tree who became my friend is an old oak tree, around which the monastery was built. One of the monks said that they estimate that this tree is around three hundred years old.
A lot of wisdom came my way over the course of those three days. Not just from sitting by the tree, but also from various readings on hand. The one that I have returned to, time and time again, is an excerpt from the poem, Clearing, by Martha Postlethwaite:
Clearing
by Martha PostlethwaiteDo not try to serve
the whole world
or do anything grandiose.
Instead, create
a clearing
in the dense forest of your life
and wait there
patiently,
until the song
that is yours alone to sing
falls into your open cupped hands
and you recognize and greet it…
On this first day of Spring, here’s to tuning into nature, creating a clearing, and greeting your song, with cupped hands at the ready.
Happy Spring!
Wishing you all things good,
Tamara
This could not of been more timely Tamara. As I fly off on the equinox into the unknown, one of many reasons for packing up after 18 years & leaving this ‘secure life’ is definitely to re~discover that sacred space & finding my new song.
Thank you for this inspiring note. 🪷
The song that is yours alone to sing... love this. Thank you for sharing it.