Tend

Tend

I got my hands into the earth

It has been years for me

A student of the land

I sowed some little seeds

It didn’t look like much at first

No pushing from the ground

I watched it closely every day

Hoping for the sound

Of those little seeds

That always knew they’d be

Creeping up to the sun

A lush garden green

Hope at the beginning

You think they never aught

Until one day like magic

That seed has found its sought

They know intrinsically

What they have to do

When loved with sweet intention

Those little seeds they grew

Out of earth they spring

Like a gift they be

Every year is different

Like magic to me

Reaching high up to the sun

Warm the weather gets

Some they work out very well

Some you take a bet

Soon enough you peek

Beneath a few new leaves

Surprise the fruit it bears

Sharing it with me

Then I thought this year

I’ve tended many things

Creative on the inside

Up through the ground it springs

Things burrowed hidden

That needed tender thought

A warm and safe place to land

Emotions to be caught

Things that needed love and care

Understanding too

Things I needed space from

To know what I should do

Tending all the little parts

That get left behind

A point of light in the dark

Something to be mined

Weeding out the rows

Pinching off dead leaves

We can tend our insides too

Of things or bad beliefs

The more that we take off

Roots grow deeper still

Hard work on the inside

Tending is a skill

If we tend with love

Abundance it will show

Garden from the heart

Always love will grow

So if you want to see

Magnificence around

Tend your inner garden too

Learning from the ground

If you take that extra time

To care for what’s in need

Your inner landscape blooms

Lush without the weeds

I’m tending everyday

And learning as I go

That what you give attention to

Soon will finely grow

So I’m tending all the spots

That need some extra care

Knowing that abundance grows

With things that I can share

So tend today with love

Place sweet within your heart

You are worth the time my dear

Let

Tending

Be

Your

Art

by arley

Nothing and Everything

Nothing And Everything

You can be

In parts of you

Nothing and everything

Once you realize

More doors will open

The bells around you ring

You are bits of light

And dust

You are always whole

You are right and wrong

At times

You show so much soul

Don’t be fooled

That you can’t be

Everything you want

You can be

Light and dark

In stark contrast you taunt

You can write

And sing and laugh

To your hearts content

You can be Mother

Father Brother

Sister Friend

Everything

Is part of you.....

You can be

Sweet and true

Sunny skies of blue

The deepest darkness

Still can Dwell

Inside of you

You are made

To live this one

Sweet and tender life

So take a sip of water

From the coolest

Stream

Dance with

Wild abandon

Remember you can dream

Look straight through

All at once

Flying on the wing

Use the power

In your voice

Wildly you can sing

Maybe also

something still

Will suit your tender heart

Quiet places

Made for you

Comforts who you are

Nothingness

From your toes

To your golden crown

It’s ok to be quiet

calming all around

Who you are

Let’s you choose

Many bits to bring

You can be

In parts of you

Both

Nothing

and

Everything

Sometimes It’s Hard

Sometimes it’s Hard

Sometimes it’s hard

To feel the things

That sit inside your chest

Even though

Every time

You try your level best

To be all things

To everyone

Time and time again

I see your heart

Struggling and beating

To pretend

“That’s not true”

You’ll tell me

“Everything’s ok”

“Just buck up

I’ll get through it

Move on with my day”

But oh your heart is heavy

Dear

Come hush it for a trial

You don’t need

To hold so much

I’ll bear it for a while

It’s moments just

Like this you know

Where you could straight let go

Of your sweet

And heavy head

Your heart together sews

The greatest weaving

Works of art

Still and listen in

Trust that voice

Inside your being

Cellared in your skin

It whispers soft

And sweet to you

Longing you attend

See to the very

Underneath

Where it all began

Hooked in your soul

Where it got lost

Many moons ago

Got turned into

Some dark crooks

Where it roots to grow

Do not ignore

The meager dark

Hiding in the corners

Cloak it in

With tenderness

Helps to keep it warmer

It gets slight

With sympathy

You can show yourself

Do not ignore

Those dark spots

Or put them on a shelf

Sometimes it’s hard

To remind yourself

Load gentle on your heart

And soon enough

These precious things

Will

Never

Fall

Apart

The Topic Of Darkness

The Topic of Darkness

Did you know

That you’re allowed

To feel everything

Inside

Lots of times

We are told

To hide our

Darker side

Living in light

Is easier

Some refuse

To be

Bothered with

The dark emotions

On the inside

Seen

Because we get

Uncomfortable

When the dark abounds

We think that

In the darker parts

No light can be found

And that’s not

Really true

There’s not one without the other

Light cannot

Survive without a

Darker cover

So celebrate the parts

In shadow

And the bright ones too

Light and dark

Both have a place

Loved inside of you

Run Away

Run Away

Within the thick

Of trying to say

What’s on your mind

And the invalidation

Starts

You can choose

To listen to your heart

And run away

Run away from the holding

Of what once was

Because all the new is

On the horizon

You can say thank you

And know

Deep down you will never be understood

But it matters not

Now because

You are good

You are good

All parts of you

Head to toes

You don’t need their love or their

Words

Cause you can make it

I know that you can

You don’t need their acceptance

In order to land

In a spot that feels safe

And ready to expand

You don’t need their opinion anymore

You are growing each day

When you grow in all ways

You don’t need to

Runaway

by arley April 12 2021

I found this one hiding in the corners of my phone.

Sometimes I get my eyes on them and can catch them before they run

Sometimes they are good

Most times they are not

That’s what practice is

My writing has quickly become one of my most favourite things to do.

I’m taking a bit of a rest from music

So I can sit in this new inviting place

Before the pandemic

My body was burnt out

I played and sang for hours a week with my students. And I loved every minute of that I played and sang on the weekends too at the pubs.

It turns out that 30 hours a week of playing does not a fine body make

My hands ached

My neck was outta whack

I had developed tendinitis in my elbow And my shoulders (rotator cuffs) were pooched

My voice was strong

But everything else was starting to get really tired. My body needed a rest...Bad

So I’m taking that rest

And my body is healing itself

With lots of love. It has wisdom and knowledge and it knows what to do

I’m going to continue to rest and strengthen it until it tells me to jump in again fully....It feels good.....

Thank you to those of you who always show up in lovely ways for me as I stumble around and practice new things.

It does not go unnoticed

I know in my heart I have to

Listen to my body. And before long We will all be back together again

Maybe tucked away in my cozy studio Or At the local pub

I can hear it and I can feel it

And I’m getting so excited

Let It Die

Let It Die

Can we let it die

Can we let it go

Into the greater darkness

To be swallowed whole

Can we sing it to the sky

Let the wild unite

Can trust become the beacon

Can love become the light

Will you stand steady whole

Take it up with me

So I can calm the swells

On my rough and raging sea

Can I let it die for good

So the past can rest

Never feel the darkness

Pounding through my chest

That always calls and coddles me

“I am your comfort dear.”

“Don’t you remember?”

“I held you close and near?”

“I taught you all the things you know.”

“To make you fear the light.”

“Darkness is much easier.”

“My arms will hold you tight.”

“Stroke your head and tell you.”

“All lies what people do.”

“To hurt your heart in present.”

“The former...haunting you.”

“Forever it will weigh you down.”

“Like bags of heavy bricks.”

“Every time you make a lap.”

“I’ll add one more to it.”

“Load you down so you can’t see

The precious light of day.”

“So the past will grip you.”

“You’ll never have a say.”

“You will never let it die

As it become your face.”

“Chaos is your friend.”

“Untrusting is your place.”

So this voice is a lie

It wants you to believe

That your darkest tempest

Is something you will grieve

If you learn to let it die

It has no room to grow

Illuminating shadow things

Lets the realness show

And even when it’s hard my love

To know you let dark die

No holding onto past once done

Let it go a wry

Let it bend and weave and move

Like each breath you take

To sing a light and stoic tune

Heart and bone won’t break

Cause if you find that middle place

Where nothing’s wrong or right

There’s no living for the future

Only......

for tonight

The burdens they get lighter dear

Your mind has time to rest

Because the now is ever clear

And bursting out your breast

And that is where the answer lies

It’s in the here and now

So it’s time to erase

That furrow off your brow

Prospective future is unknown

To the naked eye

The past.....

all done......

behind us....

It’s alright

To

Let

It

Die

I wrote this one for us

All of us

And mostly because I listen way too intently to the trickster voice

I’m sure you know the one.....

It tells you lies about yourself that you start to believe over time.

And after a while you start to believe everything it says

I’m here to tell you it’s not the truth.

None of it.

You are enough and you are worthy of love, gentle and kind.

And if we can stay in the present

Right here Right now.....

Not in the past

Not in the future

Safety can exist in small spaces....

Like in this moment right now

And the next

And the next

Big Love