The Hammock
Hello, dear readers! I’m excited to announce that starting today, I am providing an audio version of what I send to you in written form — for those of you who like to multitask! :-)
As you can see above, the audio will be attached to each email you already receive. Over time, I’ll also be recording all my previous stuff, which will arrive as newly-published separate emails. Those will be called The Art of Freedom Podcast.
Let me know what you think about this new offering in the comments; I’m curious to hear your impressions and experiences!
As always, thank you for spending your precious time with me. I’m happy you’re here.
xox
Mary
The Hammock
Floating between earth and sky
your sanctum calls
come, it says, come climb
into this crescent lacuna,
sigh into the relief of slippage,
disown those thoughts of
who you are, why you’re here;
be still, silent, useless,
surrender your certainty
into the weave of rope and twine
that cradles your breath, all that’s left:
contracting, expanding,
gentle motion giving sway to trust
I will hold you, I will allow you
to be nothing, finally
at home, finally,
but not forever
a rudderless raft,
rocking
on the oceanic void
oh so blue.
Then,
when the time is right
roll me up
and take me with you
everywhere
Thank you for reading or listening to The Art of Freedom. This post is public so feel free to share it.
I’d love to know what you’re thinking!
After reading your piece...Prisoners Of Higher Ed: Part2, I had the realization that I have always been and will always be a non-conformist. Uh huh, that's a big fat statement to make. Was it going to "Senior Dress Up Day" in female clothes at my High School in Cloverdale California, population 3,200 in 1976, when that was scandalous? Was it going against my vehement Fathers marching orders to go get a job and "do something, even if it's wrong", by going to Art school as a first generation college student? Was it my continual attraction to folks that didn't fit into the correct social boxes? Maybe all of the many ways that I have been an outlaw in relation to laws, strictures, social mandates and agreements that seemed ludicrous to me? I prefer circles to boxes anyway.
I don't know the answer to that, other than the fact that I seem to have this thing called "critical thinking", that I cannot escape and colors my relationship to status quo, and the everyone's doing it bit, so... Somehow my brain will always send me an alert when everyone seems to be "doing it", that says hey!! WAIT A MINUTE!!
Maybe I was a lemming in a past life?
This has mostly never been easy, even though I seem to be compelled again and again toward the same investigations of something like "What's behind that curtain", or "The Emperors got no clothes", or, "That can't be right".
Maybe I am just a skeptic? I do know that there have been plenty of times that it cost me greatly; being the outsider that I never wanted to be. I am grateful that finally all that conformity shit that I had to endure is being raked through the coals in these uncomfortable times we are in.
Your writings and musings on these topics are timely. Your inquiries pull back the curtain so that this sneaky seductive social unconscious brainwashing can be seen in the naked light of day. Your courage to question in the face of overwhelming political manipulation, shunning, shaming, damnation, ostracizing, and all of the repellent ugliness that can arise out of this investigation is heartening to me. Maybe more so even because of your honesty in seeing where you were co-opted
I most certainly have a visceral need to be liked and loved and held by my peers. At this point in my life.......in human relating.....I am choosing my people carefully and consciously. I find that it's not that I have a need to be with people that think just as I do, moreover, the people that I want to be surrounded by are the ones that will use there critical thinking brains, their gut!! I am interested in questioning, inquiry, and curiosity.
I choose you Mary. I am so grateful to be the recipient of your lovely inquiring mind.
Thank you......Namaste'
Denni
Your luminous writing deeply touches me. I am reminded of the Native American "give away" ceremony on this Indigenous Peoples day. I'm gearing up for my own Potlatch - inspired by your shared process (and possessed by way too much stuff). Don't suppose you need anything? 💞