Abridged excerpts from

The Way Out Collection

~~~

 Part One

what do I need so that my soul

can breathe?

what are the needs of my soul?

~~~~~~~~~~

 

I was not reading with my mind,

I was reading with my heart,

 

and my heart

resonated with certain passages,

 

and in the resonance

my heart

was being nurtured

 

--I was so hungry, so hungry--

~~~~~~~~~~

I was actually

talking to God,

 

and God was talking to me.

 

Right there. On paper.

Like I didn’t have enough problems.

 

I’m still digesting that one.

~~~~~~~~~~

Part Two

 

One day my beliefs began to crack.

 

something totally new

and different was underneath

 

an infinite open space

 

fluid

                      gentle

                                   

And that thing was inside my head.

Can you believe it?

Probably not.

 

Anyhoo, beliefs are crackable.

~~~

There’s a higher intelligence

that runs through the core of one’s being.

(Or through the cracks of one’s head.)

 

One can choose to tap

into the higher intelligence or

wait until it pops.

 

Yes, ladies and gentlemen,

the higher intelligence

pops.

~~~~~~~~~~

Part Three

 

do not tolerate

abuse

 

~~~

take a deep breath

and do it,

 

you know

what needs to be done,

 

doing what needs to be done

pays off

~~~~~~~~~~

The first time I tasted inner peace

I was alone at home

doing the dishes...

 

in ecstasy

~~~~

Do the dishes every day.

You may get lucky.

~~~

What matters is to live

a fulfilling life.

~~~~~~~~~~

Part Four

 

How to lead a meaningful life

in a world that is collapsing?

 

That is the question.

~~~

Taking responsibility

            for one’s own toxicity,

 

for what one dumps into the environment,

 

is a big part of the solution.

~~~~~~~~~~

One day, my head was so full of stuff

it went blank,

 

(oh gee),

 

and dropped down

to my gut.

 

Can you believe it?

 

I have since been gut-based.

My noodles are in the gut,

so to speak.

~~~~~~~~~~

When I live my life

aligned with my purpose,

 

when I’m fulfilling my part

in the bigger plan,

 

I no longer feel hopeless

                                    or helpless

                                                or scared.

 

When I don’t know where

I’m going,

 

when everything is dread

and worry,

 

life sucks.

What can I tell you?

 

I’ve done all of the above.

It’s a balancing act.

~~~~~~~~~~