Bernie Slutsky

 

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  Life and the Virus   There is a constant alarm that goes off in my head It signals that the virus could be anywhere It is lurking in the store that I shop in At the outdoor event where there are bare faces that breath out danger I am hesitant to stand near the ones I love, not wanting to get or give an illness The invisible germ that could be inhaled anywhere, anytime They say there will be another that is waiting to come out And another We have drilled, polluted, contaminated, deforested, and neglected our planet The entitlement of the self-appointed leaders who have accumulated power and wealth, have taken the right to destroy anything in their path, to use whatever means they have, to grow their domains At the expense of animals, plants, forests, oceans, humans, and the air I wake up to another day of wonder and awe at what will be brought to me by the universe What beautiful, natural part of this Earth will draw me in today? Who will connect with my soul that will nourish my bein

  The Changing Season     As the season is changing, I notice how the sun is withdrawing It feels like it needs to take its own space It has given me as much as it can I miss it towards the end of the day The energy it gives me is slowly diminishing I feel a loss An emptiness sinks into my stomach Loneliness becomes my companion As I sit in this moment, in the metamorphosis going on in the atmosphere that pulls my body and soul I want to escape It seems too daunting to navigate the dark days that are waiting for me I feel too fragile to enter the cold that will be outside the front door The threat of being alone in this overwhelms my psyche Yet I have been in this isolation over the last several months And I have been able to manage it With the sun, the warm breeze, the parks, trails, lakes, and trees They have been my companions that have provided me unconditional love They have spoken to me, held me, comforted me, and gave me inspiration I want to take these resources into the tundra

  Trauma   I believe we were created from trauma That was the original placenta All races, religions, ethnicities, peoples, and beings were born from and into trauma All my life I’ve struggled with an internal fight It is still there and sometimes I feel it is me It makes me cautious, even shy I can become enraged, emboldened, or frozen and withdrawn When I welcome the wise part of me to put out this fire, I realize that there are decades even centuries worth of terror stored and filed in my cells When my history, or my inner sanctuary of oppression, violence, and rejection gets activated The go to reflex triggers my survival instinct to run, fight or hide This is the time to become humble This is when I need to radically become all-loving to myself and those around me This is when I need my heart to radiate light so I can see the beauty, the tenderness, and feel the joy from being on this planet and to feel the warmth and sweetness of all beings, big and small, Black, Brown, Yellow, R

  Opening my Heart   When I open my heart, I feel the soft pulsing of it breathing in my chest   My eyes open wider and the sky is close, it covers me like a soft, blue sheet with puffy white cotton   When my heart opens, the earth beneath my feet anchors and supports each step I take I feel the solid ground mold into my heels and soles that keeps me standing tall as each leg pushes forward with grace   When I open my heart, I hear hushing of the breeze, the chattering of the birds and squirrels, and the humming of the city They blend into a rhythmic harmony that plays the cycle of life into the air for me to listen to and absorb   As my heart opens, I feel the presence of my loved ones as they laugh, or share what they are curious about, interested in, or what their fears are I see their faces and take delight in their mannerisms, movements, the sound of their voices   When my heart opens, I have the capacity to heal the broken parts of myself when I was not understood, taken for gran