she danced for the love she felt,
the love she gave away, and the love she kept…
she danced to free her spirit and to free other spirits too
she danced in response to joy and to process pain
she moved her body like her life depended on it…
Hello Dear One!
As far as I can tell the one thing we have any control over at all is our choice to be present. As each of us seeks the mysteries of the universe in our own way we arrive at these little aha moments and mine is, wow, so what else is there to be or do but choose presence. Not a new thought in any way but it needs to occur to each of us in our own time as truth – no one can just convince you that presence is the key to all of it.You have to, let me re-word that, get to discover it for yourself if you are lucky…enough…to notice how it works. And it works, miracles.
Choosing to be awake and alert and how we respond to what comes across our path and what we call onto our paths through our intentions is a profound gift for us if we will accept it.
The mysteries of the Universe spin around in my heart like the great wheel turning. Spin spin spin. Cry. Laugh. Sob.
Friends that are under 55 dying left and right. School Girls kidnapped in nightgowns from their beds. My friend’s baby dying at 3 days old. My best friend from childhood being in court with her own family.
Whaasaaat? Like Dickens said, it was the best of times and the worst.
And for me, all along side my grief, there is this celebration for my wedding being planned, and there is joy at every single cafe as my love and I wax poetic over coffee daily in the Red Thread Cafe with Rumi, Jesus and Quantum Creativity before we confront the day. It feels like that sometimes, confronting. I have to choose to enter the day with softness which means I don’t begin with the news, and I don’t begin with the email. I begin with sweetness and prayer. And if I am lucky, painting.
The painting above represents the paradox for me – you don’t see the layers underneath of the tears shed for our earth, and for the journey of the loss of innocence in those I work with – but look who came, a dancing bride, go figure right? As people have been seeing her they sit down in front of her and burst into tears, not getting up for a long while – why I wonder – they feel the beauty in the paradox perhaps. Of her dancing through it, all of it and finding joy in the blooming earth. A friend and community member, a dancer and teacher of dance, a bright red headed light has passed so young to the other side yesterday and I wanted to post the painting and poem below, for her. I remember her leading us in the dances of Universal Peace at Cosmic Cowgirls. Sigh. So vibrant and so beautiful just 3 years ago and caring for her own dying siters, both, cancer. (((((H)))))) May you be dancing with God as you have always done. Dance in peace.
Dearest one. May you continue to find your joy wherever you may find it. It is here, we have to choose. And I choose, to paint and dance… join me? Let us live like we are living, not live like we are dying, that will come soon enough.
What is your response? Your way of being? Your part in the great wheel turning?
Will you choose to dance….we can you know. Choose this movement over folding up and turning in. This will be our great challenge as present beings of awakening, to choose to dance when we are able…
Come with me now, barefooted into the beauty…
Signed in blooming roses,
Shiloh Sophia
She Danced
she danced for the love she felt
the love she gave away
and the love she kept
she danced to free her spirit
and to free other spirits too
she danced in response to joy
and to process pain
she moved her body
like her life depended on it
praying for love to come,
for sadness to go
she danced for all the people
who can’t dance for themselves
she also taught others to dance
for justice, for truth, for possibility
for healing the broken-hearted
she danced to break the ties that bind
our women ~ our mothers
to bring awareness and healing
she danced to break open the hearts of
our men ~ our fathers
to bring truth and compassion
to invite friendship and art
into the open spaces
that the dance created
she danced
to keep the flame of true love burning
she danced when
she was too tired to walk
she danced between the worlds
she danced because a celebration
calls for dancing
the twirl of skirts the rhythm of feet
the snapping and clapping,
the exultant inhale and exhale
she danced with lovers,
she danced with friends
she danced alone too
because some nights
we all dance alone and
because sometimes
dancing is all that can be done
she danced for the artists and musicians
and scientists and alchemists and midwives
and physicians and housewives and
gas stationers
and waitresses and for all who work
too too hard, for too too little
she danced for all the creators of invention
and those whose gift is just: To BE.
she danced to dislodge the caught gifts
struggling to get free in each of us
she danced for the living and for the dead
in birth and in mourning
for peace, beauty and creative expression
she danced our prayers all the way to GOD
which isn’t so very far after all…
“Shall we dance?”
asked the Creator of Dance
they danced until the sun came up
and this time she didn’t have to lead.
