Sharing my original poetry which encompasses topics that touch my heart and soul including spirituality, faith, theology, nature, authentic being and belonging, social justice, and social criticism.
poem: remembering why I write
(when words are slow to come)
on this journey
through the Cosmos
and beyond into
the Great Mystery
Life is beautiful
and holy whole
filled with stories
worthy of remembering
making sense
knowing meaning
finding purpose
fitting it all together
yes, writing down the bones
of this world, Self,
relationships, and community;
of our one wild and precious life
Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
February 14, 2022
art: uncredited cover art to the book
The Crack in the Cosmic Egg by
Joseph Chilton Pearce
Author’s note: Quotes in my poem:
‘Writing Down the Bones’ is a book
by Natalie Goldberg, and ‘one wild and
precious life’ is from Mary Oliver’s
iconic poem ‘The Summer Day.’
Finding myself at an interstice in the
journey, words slow to come,
remembering why I write, and what
Annie Dillard wrote about “The gaps
are the spirit’s one home….Go up into
the gaps.” And so I go, writing it down.
poem: creating is like catching lightning in the void
in my poetry writing I am learning to stay committed and open at a high enough level of intention for the creative process to unfold
now allowing the missing pieces I am looking for to emerge in their own time from the unconscious mind
thus often manifesting suddenly in a flash in the in-between completing the gestalt before me in its most authentic and beautiful form
like a satori of the mind we see the simple truth of reality that was always there when we are ready
one comes to see that in creating there are moments of
holy revelation and wholeness completing the work
Herb Stone here&now working poetry October 24, 2021
art image by Rowena Davis
Author’s note: The poem is influenced by my reading of Rollo May’s book ‘The Courage to Create.’ I recommend the book highly to all creatives whatever your form of expression.
Reflection: My Romance With Bookstores and Great Books
Over the weekend, we visited three different brick and mortar bookstores. I have always loved bookstores and libraries. Holding the books in your hands, reading snippets, admiring the author’s creativity, and being inspired to write.
After Cathey and I were first married in the early 1970’s , we had a VW Beetle, which she drove to her work everyday, and a bike I rode wherever I needed to go. This included many trips to a lovely independent bookstore in the village near where we lived. I spent a lot of time there reading and buying the books of Jack Kerouack, Alan Watts, Ram Dass, Carlos Casteneda, Kurt Vonnegut, Richard Brautigan, and many others.
This weekend we visited: an Amazon storefront, a Barnes and Noble, and our independent bookstore, Parrnassus, co-owned by the novelist, Ann Pachett, who lives in Nashville.
At Parnassus, I purchased the newly published book, The Every, by Dave Eggers, which is only being sold through independent booksellers at this time by the author’s design. Interestingly, the book is available as a hardback with over 30 different cover designs (see the book I bought below). Also, Eggers has three different subtitles as follows: ‘At Last A sense of Order,’ or ‘The Final Days of Free Will,’ or ‘Limitless Choice is Killing the World.’
His novel focuses on the challenges and dangers facing our culture today due to the ever increasing growth and power of tech companies and giant e-commerce sites. The back cover says, “The Every will keep the reader in breathless suspense about the fate of capitalism, freedom, and the human animal.”
If you love bookstores and good writing by contemporary authors who address the critical social and cultural challenges of our times creatively and prophetically, visit your local independent bookstore, hold it in your hands, marvel at it, pick your cover,and buy this book by Dave Eggers. And happy reading!
awakening with a poem on the tongue
and the great expanse of time surrounding us
this tableau for our imagination and creativity
our human form being here now
floating on this Gaian speck of life
the Great Cosmic Universe spins
all becoming a model of creative expression
(the page, the canvas, the clay, the notes, the performance)
this mutable reality of materials, energy, consciousness
we write, paint, sculpt, sing, and dance
re-connecting us to the true meaning of Life together
both human and divine, immanent and transcendent
Reflection: Invitational Presence, Noticing Who Notices, Opening Our Hearts To One Another, Belonging
How do we express our Highest, Most True Selves into the world and authentically belong together in mutual relationships building soulful communities?
Much of my poetry is my effort in exploring and arriving at answers to this very question. Certainly that is the central theme in my recently published book, ‘The Poetry of Resistance and Transformative Healing” https://herbstonejr.com/books/
One master teacher, in her book, ‘Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home,” offers this sage advice: “If you are doing your part to brave the beautiful values that are coursing through you into the world, then all that’s left for you to do is to notice who notices. Don’t dismiss the invitational presence in others. Keep these ones close by noticing their gifts in return. Practice at opening the heart, yours and theirs, through fierce inquiry and the expression of truth.” Excerpt from Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home by Toko-pa Turner (belongingbook.com)
Beloveds, let us do the hard work of fearless self inquiry leading to Self Truth, the courageous expression of these our highest values, noticing, opening hearts, and coming together in invitational presence building authentic communities, and coming home in mutual belonging together.
Sooner than expected, my new book is ready to view and order on Amazon.
I hope you will view the book at http://www.amazon.com by searching on the book’s title, and if it’s poetry and theme resonates with you, you will consider purchasing it.
One more request is that after reading, if you would please leave a review of the book on Amazon, it would be a great help to me. More reviews help increase sales on Amazon.
Thank you friends for all your support, and I hope you will enjoy the book written from my heart as an offering of radical grace and love for the healing of the world and all beings as True selves belonging together in authentic community💓🙏🏽
