Challenge

Doubt, who coined the word doubt

Apparently it is from circa 1200

And we have the French to thank

But what about what precedes this doubt

What about that arbiter of faith

What does the Bible say on doubt

This from James 1:5-8

For the one who doubts is like

A wave of the sea that is driven

And tossed by the wind

He is a double-minded man

Unstable in all his ways

Is that who I am

When I question this Lavender Barn retreat

Doubtful of my ability to find more

Or to go further into myself

With some vague idea

That even more freedom lies there

Not To Oversell

I think to pare back the day

To edge towards minimalism

Rather than the exuberance

Of what today has brought me

Did I search the right places

Did I forage in the best fields

Is it more than good fortune

Or a response to sound purpose

I have been fed rather well

In body, mind and spirit

I have tasted sweet and sour

And will do so, again and again

Preparation Time

Tonight is meditation by zoom

I am not really prepared

But in a way that’s ok

Because my fellow meditators

Will be fascinated

By the Norfolk cottage

Or Lavender Barn

To give it its official name

Also they will want to know

Exactly what I have been up to

Nevertheless, as I listen

To the Astounding Eyes of Rita

I think it’s time to make a start

First to turn the words into PDF’s

Then to choose the guided meditations

And put them on a playlist

Finally, to choose the audio tracks

For our meditations to music

Done

How good it feels

To accomplish something

Anything...

Self-Reflections

Two hours of playing with video

Does anyone

Like the sight of their own face

Or the sound of their own voice

Do we not all cringe

At the words we wrote

Or the scenes which we imagined

Is it overconfidence

In our ability

Or our proficiency

Have we seen professionals

And thought, oh yes

That looks easy enough

I should be able to do that

Of course timing, timing is everything isn’t it

Knowing when to pause

Where to take a breath

Or when to smile

And turn towards the camera

Although to do that I would have to learn my lines

And memory is not my strong point is it, no it is not

Burnside

I didn’t know you as a non-believer

I don’t really know you as a poet

Yet of late I have empathised

With your words, and their layout

Indeed I took your Desserts

To our Friday Morning Poet’s Salon

Where the craquelure

Was inquisitively peeled back