Precipice

How different life can be in the space of a week, from revelling in spring sunshine and growth to being thrown back into the full force of winter as the cailleach gives one last blast of her staff to the land, covering the world in snow and ice.

Life can often feel the same where out of nowhere we are plunged into a world of uncertainty and perhaps despair, knocking us off balance and finding ourselves reeling trying to find our feet again, humbling us and bringing us to our knees. Yesterday was one of those days here and I found myself in the woods last night under the light of the full moon becoming disorientated in a place where I usually know every tree and moss covered rock intimately, finding myself on my hands and knees crawling through a thicket wondering where my path was - the irony of the comparison of how i was feeling in my life yesterday was not lost on me as I found my way through the drooping snow covered branches of the old birch wood that I usually know so well and feeling incredibly glad to find myself on my path again.  I truly believe these moments in time where uncertainty rules are there to knock us off centre and bring change into our beings, it's only through the cracks that the light can shine in.

One of my practices is to write, poetry or perhaps just a diary entry or some words that mean something to me to express those inner feelings and help me make some sense of them.

Like all springtime snow these moments in time will surely pass and the sun will eventually shine through again illuminating our way and lighting our path before us. I'd like to start sharing some of these writings here and i will post last nights poem in a seperate post. Life today us much brighter and the journey ahead much clearer, there will always be hard things but in facing our fears we grow strong, tempered by winter storms so that once we are ready we will be stronger in our resilience against the ice and cold and finding our way towards our true potential.

Precipice

I stand on the precipice of the unknown,

teetering on the edge, not knowing if I shall fall or fly

The symbols written into the fabric of my being told me of this -

an end is coming and a new beginning is near.

With an expanse of fear structured from old memories sucking at my feet

I wade my way across no mans land

If I can break down those structures then perhaps I might fly,

To pastures new, a promised land built of hopes and dreams

Seeds filled with the  potential of my being

that have still to push their way through the ice and snow of self doubt and sabotage

fashioned from fear and remembered pain and struggle.

Yet I know these seeds are the fruits of hard won labours,

the bounty of previous harvests filled with joy, beauty and wonder.

Accomplished dreams grown through the seasons of my life,

full of my true potential and the promise of a new tomorrow

and the seeds of my future

Karen Bell, 6th March 2023