Hello Friend,
Winter turning into spring is kind of magical in the landscape where I live.
I took some photos through the week of what I noticed, like the flower buds opening on this tree.
There’s so much turmoil, hatred and division churning through our world right now. Heartbreaking devastation.
The time I spend in nature feels like such contrast to my anxiety and fears about the world.
Writing out my fears is also a way that I cope with them. I hope this expressive writing practice has been helpful for you in that way, too. (New friends: find the archive of readings & prompts here).
I am grateful you’re here for this weekly practice.
Write. Imagine. Share. Discover.
If you know someone who might be curious about expressive writing or who might need some support today, invite them to join us.
It’s the third week of the month, when our creative prompt draws inspiration from a poem.
Lucille Clifton is a favorite poet of mine and I was thinking about you this week, and our theme of transition, her poem called ‘blessing the boats’ came to mind. Read it below or click the arrow at the top of the page and I’ll read it to you.
blessing the boats
Lucille Clifton
(at St. Mary’s)
may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back may you
open your eyes to water
water waving forever
and may you in your innocence
sail through this to that
Writing Practice: Set aside 5-7 minutes for this practice. Write in a journal or open a ‘Journey with The Season’ document where you can return each Sunday.
Prompt: Write down all of the images in the poem that speak to you. It might be the tide, the wind, the water, innocence, sailing. Pick what one image to explore. What energies or emotion arise when you imagine it? What experiences or associations come up for you connected to this image?
Read the line in the picture above. Imagine a tide carrying you out ‘beyond the face of fear.’ Write about that place as if it were a real place you could go visit—whenever you want to! Here are some phrases to get you started:
Beyond the face of fear, I spend my days…
Beyond the face of fear, I dream of…
Beyond the face of fear, I feel…
Beyond the face of fear, I create…
I’d love to read your imaginings. Comment below or use the new ‘message’ feature to reach me.
Deepening Practice: Celebrate the Spring Equinox this week! Take photos of new signs of life. Put on music and dance out your energy. Draw images of spring. Write a spring haiku. Read poetry about spring (and send me your favorite spring poems to add). Listen to George Winston’s Winter Into Spring album. I know some of you enjoy spring cleaning (not me so much…). Create a spring alter. So many ways to honor this transition! I’d love to hear about what you choose.
May you ‘sail through this to that’ with ease. Love, Gabrielle Ariella