Pamela Leavey

words and pictures....

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Tag: Photography

Reflections: A Sacred Grove

Grove of Trees and Rhododendrons in Maudslay State Park

I wandered through the forest, lost and bereft, until I came across a sacred grove. The tree in the center was broken and battered like me, yet its form was that of a cross. Not unlike myself when I extend my arms up to shoulder height and hold them there. But I was too tired to stand there like the tree with my arms held aloft. It was no small thing just to be present most days, let alone holding a pose. So, I sat in the center of the sacred grove and I asked the tree for some of its strength.

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What If A Tulip Sprang?

A new poem about what can grow in our heart space…

What If A Tulip Sprang? 

What if a tulip sprang,
from my heart? 
What if the tender sprouts
rose up from my heart
until they became leaves
that spread
within my heat space,
healing
my weary soul. 

Oh, those strong green leaves
rising from the Earth,
do they not form
the shape of
the bottom of
the heart.
They are the base
that holds up
the flower. 

The stem begins to grow. 
It is taller than
the leaves 
and on top of the stem
forms a bud. 
The bud begins to grow.
Soon that bud
Presents the faint hint
of color. 

Then the bud
begins to open. 
It forms fully into
a ripe tulip
rich with hues
of magenta, 
white and green. 
No ordinary tulip,
this one. 

This tulip
It unfolds all ruffly
like a skirt with a petticoat
and that is the crux
of its beauty. 
Each petal is a piece
of my heart. 
Each petal is a layer
of my life. 

Each petal 
is the soft,
sweet,
gentle space
I hold
In my heart. 
What if 
a tulip sprang
from my heart? 

If a tulip sprang
from my heart, 
it would surely signify
my heart is open,
and I too 
can unfold
like the ruffled tulip
that sprang up
from the Earth. 

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A Shadow of Myself

A Shadow of Myself

Here I stand, 
a shadow of myself,
looking for a familiar posture.

A shadow of myself 
peers through the lens 
of my camera

Looking for 
the woman
I used to be.

I, the me’s
I used to be,
strong and tenacious. 

Now I stand shakily 
on solid ground.
A shadow of myself. 

Strength replaced
by pain and worry.
I am but a shadow of myself. 

In my mind
my thoughts drift back
to the me’s I used to be.

Now I see shadows
where I was once
strong. 

Now I see shadows,
my tenacity
is gone. 

Here I stand, 
a shadow of myself,
looking for a familiar connection.

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Within Silence My Voice Dwells

Within silence my voice dwells.
My voice, it swirls around in my head,
and spins so swiftly,
it is hard to get it all
down on paper.
Most times the task seems
Insurmountable. 

I need to think like a river,
rapidly rushing by
and take pause to hear, 
write,
and speak
the words I hear
in silence. 

My mind is never silent.
it rushes like the river
to the sea. 
There is silence 
in the river
as it 
rushes by.

The river, 
always in motion,
it makes nary a sound
but within it
dwells power, a force
that flows like words
on paper. 
Merrimack River, Amesbury, Massachusetts

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Reflections: Switching Things Up

I’ve been working this week on switching things up a little. Change is always good, I believe. It gives us a chance to get rid of things that no longer work for us and start something new. Or it gets us back into an old habit that we dropped and needed to put back in our lives. Or maybe we start a new relationship or find a new job. Whatever the change is, when you set your mind to switching things up, stuff happens, because intent works. Coincidences happen for a reason. All that stuff, that reminds us that the Universe is working in our favor. Oh, that the Universe always worked in our favor. Wouldn’t that be grand. We should all be so lucky, but life and the Universe don’t work that way. So when it does, remember to be grateful for the changes that happen for the better. I like to think that when things go wrong, something better will come along. It usually works out that way, think about that a little…

There’s an old French Proverb, “Gratitude is the heart’s memory.” How beautifully true that sentiment is, for when we ware grateful, our heart soars. When we switch things up a little, our mind is soaring to new heights, heading in new directions. It is freeing. It is liberating. As we lift off from the ground on our new adventure, we feel the air around us changing. Our hearts are beating like the beating of wings, repetitively and reverberant. We fly on, grateful…

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Daily Affirmations: Everyday, I Have the Opportunity

Today, I am re-minded that a ray of sun can be like the gift of a thousand smiles. And the rain can feel like a thousand tears. Yet, both are the blessings of life. Everyday, I have the opportunity to see the gifts of life and nature before my eyes, and I am grateful. – Pamela Leavey

Eastport, Maine

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