Hello my friends. Thank you for opening my monthly emails. I’m grateful to have you in community with me. I hope spring has sprung well for you thus far, for those of us in the northern hemisphere; for those down under, I pray you find ease this season.
In April, I was fortunate to attend a mindfulness and poetry retreat in the beautiful Anderson Valley in Northern California. Reading and writing poetry has become a treasured part of my mindful self-compassion practice. It brings me deep joy and satisfaction to have this tool in my toolbox to lighten my heart when life feels too heavy to bear.
In May, I’m traveling to exotic places as well as the opposite of exotic: my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, for my 45th high school reunion! These adventures will provide fresh scenes for mindful observation — looking, listening, and feeling — that serve to inspire my writing. I look forward to sharing that with you in my June blog, as well as some exciting news of upcoming projects.
I offer a new poem, hot off the press, inspired by watching a snail on a branch of our leafy peach tree yesterday morning.
With hope for peace,
Julie
Delicate Blossoms
By Julie Potiker
Small emerald and ruby velvet coated stones.
Untold dangers – snails, spiders, beetles, Cedar Waxwings, Blue Jays, and Mockingbirds among other friends I willingly host in my garden.
Small furry creatures – a cartel of squirrels; they too, belong in the ecosystem of all things.
A net my only shield to offer.
Miracle of resilience that one day its juice will run down my chin, drip down the inside of my wrist, stain my favorite white t-shirt.
Those that survive the journey from flower to ripe peach announce summertime in all its glory.
The nectar of childhood’s sweet memory.
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