poem: and now it is in the hǣlan

and so in our aging
suffering the upward fall again
in this cruciform world both broken and whole

holding the tensions deep in our souls
resolving them within
Reconciling, Transforming, Creating the new thing

being present with ‘what is’
seeing how it can bring us closer
to renewed wholeness: Mind, Body, Spirit

once again finding our Self
re-balancing the tensions of
Creation, Life, and Love

mindful of Relationships, Community, Cosmos
responsible for hǣlan one another
with compassionate intent (not duty)

now let the hǣlan begin
all in harmony Self, Neighbor, Creator
walking each other Home again

Herb Stone
here&now working poetry
August 4, 2021

art images: Shamanic Healing Hands Art
by Maria Sabina

Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law
Illumination in the Gospel
of the Abbess Hitda of Meschede

Author’s note: hǣlan is Old English for
healing. This poem is inspired upon my
wife experiencing a stroke from which she
is currently recovering nicely but not without its challenges.