Today, it’s like this
my soul piece is a new moon
I can’t see it but it’s there
glorious, abundant in space & shape
& I (what I mean is: my body) am
tethered to it, like a string to a balloon
or kite, yes, let’s go with kite
a kite moon, & it’s moving rapidly
across the soggy-grey sky & I’m
strungout, string-swooshing over the
lush tree tops, my toes tickling
shimmering leaves & I’m not
afraid of this height, of this dragging
I’m, like, giddy-laughing, my stomach
in braids, & I’m feeling vital as
each breath fills my veins with
change, & the cosmos are coo-
ing my kite moon soul toward
what? a body reborn outside
its soul, because the body
is in the soul, my body is in
or, today, connected to &
hauled under my moon soul
& soon it will eclipse the sun
course-correcting in the blind-
ing meeting & HOLY BALLS
the path, our path, my body
in my soul will align: full-stop
& I’ll be slurped, evolving
radically into a more-me
sacrificed self hovering in
the divine disruption of
surrender. Yeah, today
it’s like this…
GODERICH…RICH IN JOY!
And so… despite no one showing up to the reading at Cait’s Cafe, I had a deeply joyful, restful and reflective weekend! Mega-thanks to Janet for hosting me at her gorgeous home, and for being with me a the cafe to soothe the no-show reality! The photo gallery shows the very delightful and refreshing and reflective moments I had over the weekend in small-town Ontario. I was in Goderich, Kindardine and Blythe…with a quick stop in Clinton for a bite to eat in a Twilight Zone-y restaurant.
Yes, that’s a photo of a sleeping pig! The pregnant oinker was fast asleep after a flop in the mud in the back of Coastal Coffee Company, a church-turned-coffee shop that we visited. That’s me walking down a forest path to my favourite great lake, Lady Huron (as I call her!). And that’s me, arms-wide, after a perfect post-sunset swim. The driftwood was extraordinary. The air was fresh. The coffee was delicious (I bought two bags and will order more!). I read, wrote in my journal, laughed, cried, shopped, ate…and slept in – no puppy dog stomping on my stomach at 6am! Sigh.
I have one more out-of-town heart tour stop in Hamilton… and I’m feeling the zoom of time this summer. Even though I’m doing my damndest to slow it down, to be present, to read and rest and write. It’s hard, and I can’t explain why. No one I know can. And, in the in-betweens of these little love getaways, the Forgetting ripens. The Forgetting that I wrote this long poem, what it’s about, how it divines on the pages, how it affects and provokes readers, how it lives in the world beyond me. It’s true! I literally forget what I’ve created, and that I’m actually in the middle of a heart-led intention to share it with as many people as I can. What a phenomenal experience this is.
An oracle card I pulled included this quote:
Your love is a unique work of art…flashes of inspiration give rise to great success…you are your most creative now – whatever you apply yourself to will lead to the fruition of your dreams…
Wisdom of the Oracle, #40 – Co-create (Collette Baron-Reid)
Ah. I feel such comfort in these words. Such…embrace. And as such, I can and have been doing my best to surrender to the flow of this heart tour. So far I have been safe traveling, abundantly taken care of by dear friends, enriched by the land and air and water and food… and ‘flashes’ of inspiration are igniting new dreams. It’s very exciting, indeed!
NEXT HEART TOUR STOP – HAMILTON – WITH NEW READING TIME!!
Next weekend, I’ll be sharing the Synonym Shop stage with amazing poet Chantel Daniels. We’ll be reading and selling/signing our books. PLEASE NOTE THE TIME IS NOW 4PM-8PM! We had to push the time back so we can fit in the space. It’s busy, busy before then!
If you’re in Hamilton and/or know someone, do share this info! Thanks, y’all! Much love and light to all!
VANESSA SHIELDS 