poem: a season of loss
author’s note: the second line of the last verse is from 1 Corinthians 13:11.
Richard Rohr has an excellent book titled, “Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the
Two Halves of Life.”

poem: a season of loss
author’s note: the second line of the last verse is from 1 Corinthians 13:11.
Richard Rohr has an excellent book titled, “Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the
Two Halves of Life.”
poem: “maybe not being on the way
is also the way”at one with life’s Cosmic Flow,
in the True Self and Authentic Nature
of all things here and now,
the way is eternally unending
our story becomes broken
when things become hard,
we pick and choose: ego erupts,
shadows creep in, suffering ensues
one feels they have lost the thread of life,
are off the path, are in exile,
lost in the dark night of the soul,
no longer walking towards home
maybe once on the way, there is no way
but the way; the conscious/unconscious,
engaged/disengaged, yin/yang,
wholeness of it all
“nothing goes away until it teaches us
what we need to learn”: isolation,
grief, loss, illness, doubt, heartbreak;
all are the way on the way
within the complementary tension of Cosmic
Flow, here is the Truth, Authenticity,
and Wholeness that guides us step by step
unending in the eternal way of all things
Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
November 19, 2022
author’s note: the title of the poem is a quote from the writing of Toka-Pa Turner.
The quote in the fifth stanza is a quote from the writing of Pema Chodron. I am
grateful to these two contemporary seers for their deep wisdom, writing, and
teachings which inspires me to reflect and write as I seek to know for my Self.
image: Cosmic Dust Flow, NASA Hubble Space Telescope
poem: a harsh season
admiring their beauty
during a brief respite from
the season’s searing heat
she nearby with a wry smile,
resting on her cane, eyes closed,
lost in a reverie
the past 12 months
of our life’s second half
its own harsh season
mindful that earthly forms
wither and fade
yet souls hold their beauty
grateful for the radical
acceptance and love
of mutual belonging
aware that our most
high Spirit resurrects
in Cosmic harmony of All
yes, in the late summer
of our harsh year, seeing
the Beauty now and to come
Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
August 6, 2022
photos by author
Author’s note: The past twelve
months have seen a string of acute
illnesses, chronic health concerns,
and injuries for my beloved. We
weather the harsh season together,
and discover the Beauty that survives
and endures now and to come.
poem: invitational presence
like the lodestar
in the dark of night
calling us to safe harbor
the host setting
an extra place at the table
for the unexpected guest
the healer connecting
deeply with others
through their own wounds
the creative soul
offering its expression
as a gift to the universe
the True Self animating
our life together
in communities of belonging
the spirit uplifting
the life and dignity
of all oppressed beings
the dear friend who
senses our need
and reaches out in support
being the invitational presence
subtly communicating to all
one’s radical acceptance and inclusion
Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
July 22, 2022
self photo “Opening the Heart Chakra’
Author’s note: Each of us can cultivate
an invitational presence which is key
to fostering healthy beings, relationships,
and communities of authentic belonging.
An excellent resource on invitational
presence and belonging is Toko-Pa Turner’s book,
‘Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home.”
This is an area I must continually work on due to
a temperament for solitude.
writing over a lifetime
one uses tens of thousand words
baring one’s innermost soul
to the light
words can collect like rain
in the lowlands
and burst forth
in a torrent
and words can be
hard to come by
hidden in the darkness
of stultifying events
one can be filled
to over-brimming
and one can be empty
to the core
now exiled on the high knob
in the dry desert
in hopes dark clouds pour
releasing the light of new life
Herb Stone
July 19, 2022
here&now working poetry
photo by author
writing from our home
in Nashville, where we
are under an excessive
heat warning all this week,
high humidity and temperatures
my beloved and I
both testing positive for COVID
for the first time and
quarantined at our home,
we are managing
writing this now,
my eyeballs hurt,
my fever is breaking
and I am covered in sweat
and trying to control a bad cough
tragically, we are inundated
daily with bad news of
gun violence, mass shootings,
and extrajudicial shootings
of young black men by police
and all this, not to mention,
the house hearings on the
criminal ex-45th. ‘president’
and his fascist, anti-democracy,
insurrectionist efforts to steal election
dear hearts, grateful for
all of you who have expressed concerns
and who walk this journey with us,
blessed to belong in authentic
community with you all
Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
July 7, 2022
photo by author
poem: somewhere between solitude and loneliness
being here now in solitary existence
somewhere between solitude and loneliness
reflecting on recent events and experiences:
aging, disease, injury, separation, siloing,
the world and its totalizing systems
struggling, striving, sitting with challenges,
reconciling the grace of our being,
the preciousness of our life together,
and the amazing beauty of our Earth Home
with tender heart and teary eyes
busy, tired, and weary at times,
continuing at my task knowing
that we can bear it together
through connecting, belonging, and sharing,
grateful for authentic relationships and community
sitting quietly, listening,studying, reflecting, creating,
and connecting continue in this busy season of the suffering
arriving as an unexpected guest at my door,
each invited in and treated with truth and respect
haiku: broken ankles and dreams
toe nails painted pink
a pedicure on her feet
she dreams of dancing
Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
May 14, 2022
photos by author
Author’s note: The physical therapist
working with Cathey is the best. Very
professional, highly skilled, and a
great motivator, with excellent rapport
with the patient. We are so grateful for
his presence. Oh, and yes, I did the
pedicure and nail polish.