say yes

why do you hesitate?

was it a misstep that

sent you to the sidelines?

a failure that has you

clinging to the ledge?

don't you see?

the way is open before you.

quickly - say, yes!

and angels come to your aid

say, yes and all

that you have known

comes back to you...

your courage

your strength

your heart

your wings

-stacy wills (12/31/10)

uluru

what did you

know of me

before you

formed me

in the womb

what dreams did

you dream for me

what plans did

you make for me

what song were

you singing while

knitting my bones

-stacy wills (12/17/10)

repose

don't be afraid

to suffer,

give the heaviness

back to the weight

of the earth;

mountains are heavy,

seas are heavy...

-rainer maria rilke (1875-1926)

to know the dark

to go in the dark with a light is to know the light.

to know the dark, go dark. go without sight,

and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,

and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.

-wendell berry (b. 1934)

the cycle

i am falling

soft and silent

traveling in

a drop of rain

tear of heaven

hold me now

'til the ground

beneath me

is home again

-stacy wills (12/13/10)

paradox

...the womb has dreams.

-anais nin (1903-1977)

rekindler (for beverly)

it was there

from the beginning

though i did not

know it

creation's promise

was only a dream

in the darkness

until you came

saw the spark

and fanned the flame

-stacy wills (12/2/10)

the seeker

strange pilgrim

your eyes are fixed

on a city unseen

you have set out

on this journey

with no map to guide you

only a star and the

ancient voice inside you

calling out...

stay awake

stay awake

-stacy wills (11/30/10)

recurring dream

the one that keeps

recurring

this is the dream

to which

i must awaken

-stacy wills (11/28/10)

source image: national geographic page

treated with citra solv

veiled moon

the moon is a

veiled bride tonight

autumn winds

attend her,

scattering leaves

like rose petals

along the path

-stacy wills (11/22/10)

come and find the quiet center...

come and find the quiet center

in the crowded life we lead

find the room for hope to enter

find the frame where we are freed

clear the chaos and the clutter

clear our eyes that we can see

all the things that really matter

be at peace and simply be

-shirley erena murray (b. 1931)

source image: gladiolus

plan b

i am fresh from what affectionately became known as the "plan b" retreat. it was christened thus when the original guest speaker was not able to attend. instead of cancelling the retreat altogether, the host leaders and some of the retreatants stepped up to the plate to pinch-hit, offering what they could. fourteen of us gathered at a beautiful setting in the heart of louisiana and entered into a time of exploring the intersection of spirituality and creativity. for me personally, it was a time of deep healing and renewed hope...a "plan (meant to) be."

wordless wednesday

beckoning

...every horizon,

upon being reached,

reveals another -

beckoning

in the distance.

always, i am

on the threshold.

-w. eugene smith (1918-1978)

beyond this

beyond this flame-desert,

other, even wilder deserts...

-rumi (1207-1273)

dreams take wing

i will wake

in good time

but now

i must dream

of where

these wings

will take me

-stacy wills (11/03/10)

blackwater mirror

in the old birdbath

autumn leaves

steep like tea bags

blackwater mirror

reflects an azure sky

-stacy wills (11/03/10)

the contemplative squirrel

she was the picture of serenity

the first time i noticed her there

perched on the branch

of the crab apple tree

outside my kitchen window

her back was turned toward me, but

i could feel the intensity of her gaze

as she looked out across the open field

her bushy tail hung limp...relaxed

gently swaying with the breeze

i had never seen a squirrel

sit so still for so long

i sensed a kindred spirit

the tree dwellers

are the solitary ones, you know

eventually she noticed me, too,

and we studied each other for awhile

now we meet most mornings

like two cloistered contemplatives

acknowledging the other's presence,

but not intruding...

both of us content to simply hold

sacred space for one another

in the great round of life

-stacy wills (11/1/10)

explore. dream. discover.

twenty years from now

you will be more disappointed

by the things you didn't do

than by the ones you did.

so throw off the bowlines.

sail away from the safe harbor.

catch the trade winds in your sails.

explore. dream. discover.

-mark twain (1835-1910)

breathing room

what art offers

is space -

a certain

breathing room

for the spirit

-john updike (1932-2009)

wordless wednesday

slow dissolve

my head

tilts back

in wonder

i stand

open-mouthed

as if

to receive

the host

the moon

dissolves

on my tongue

-stacy wills (10/10/10)

no one else

there's no one else

i'd rather see

the sunrise with

than you, my love

no one else i'd rather

kiss goodnight, than you

we've been together

spring and summer

now it's autumn

we're passing through

each season of our life

grows sweeter

the longer i'm with you

-stacy wills (10/7/10)

swooning

you had me swooning

this morning, yes swooning,

right there in the driveway.

me, in my robe and slippers,

hair all bed-messy

sleep, still in my eyes.

i was innocently going out

to get the paper,

when you ambushed me.

how could i resist your silvery sliver

riding low in the sky like that,

barely clearing the treeline,

shining like all get out.

and the stars, oh...don't even

get me started on the stars!

alas, my rapture was interrupted

by the sound of

footfalls and heavy-breathing.

i was not alone as i supposed,

a jogger was approaching.

tell me, how does one

jog through beauty like this?

surely he is not oblivious

to the glory above.

surely i am not the first

moonstruck lady he's seen

standing in her yard

in the wee hours.

then i turned and ran, too...

for my camera!

-stacy wills (10/5/10)

making melody

the morning air

swirls alive

with song

a bird outside

my window is

pouring out

her praise

making melody

in both

our hearts

-stacy wills (10/4/10)

slow dancing

with the turning

of the season

a gentle breeze

is blowing

and with it

comes a knowing

that it's time

for letting go

then like lovers

we're slow dancing

to the waiting

ground below

-stacy wills (9/30/10)

collaboration

if you are a regular reader here, you won't be seeing anything new. the artwork in this video has all been featured here at one time or another. what will be new to you is the music you hear. that's my beloved playing. i asked him to play something original to go along with the images and he graciously (and truth be told, a little reluctantly) agreed. he hasn't had much time to play his guitar these days; the pace of his life goes about 70 mph, and he felt rusty. plus, guitar strings are tough on tender fingertips. but he persevered...just as he had all afternoon trying to even figure out how to make a video. when it was all said and done, i watched it about 5 million times...just to hear my beloved play.

what the lake said to the moon

let my stillness

be your mirror

come...

see yourself

in me,

let me show you

how beautiful

you are

the firefly

i just want

to be for

awhile

to be the

firefly

and not the

one trying

to capture

the light

wordless wednesday

between two worlds

between two worlds

life hovers like a star,

'twixt night and morn,

upon the horizon's verge

how little do we know

that which we are...

-lord byron (1788-1824)

broadside

the secret of seeing

is to sail

on solar wind.

hone and spread

your spirit,

till you yourself

are a sail,

whetted, translucent,

broadside

to the merest puff.

-annie dillard (b. 1945)

the women

they sang the words

in unison, yet somehow

created a web of sounds

with their voices. it

was like hearing a piece

of fabric woven with

all the colors of a rainbow.

-from the red tent

by anita diamant (b. 1951)

release your colors

release your colors
into the world!
who knows
what dear soul
may be in need

of your soaring

magenta today,

the wildness of

your fuchsia,

the groundedness

of your burnt umber,

the soothing tones

of your greens and blues...

let alone your

own precious self, so

weary from holding
them all inside.

-stacy wills (9/03/2010)

rainbow leap

...i looked up

and saw the

rainbow leap

with flames of

many colors

over me

-black elk (1863-1950)

wordless wednesday

each time dawn appears

each time

dawn appears,

the mystery

is there

in its entirety

-rene daumal (1908-1944)

in praise of curves

ample, soft,

fleshy, generous,

rubenesque,

magnificent,

luxurious,

sumptuous,

womanly,

voluptuous

curves!

show yourself

each morning she

sorts through

her collection

of masks

trying to decide

which one

to wear that

will cause her

the least

amount

of pain

carefully avoiding

the mirror until

it is in place

so afraid to

show herself

to her self

wordless wednesday

in the habit

this cowl is not a blinder
my robe, not cumbersome
these folded hands, not idle
my silence is not dumb
though some may think me odd,
what can i say? i am in the habit of
finding beauty in the world
the artist and monk are one

a pearl in the making

i don't know why

i am surprised

anymore, to find

my tears so close

to the surface,

it happens so

often these days...

my eyes, always

on the verge

of giving me away

but wisdom says:

let them fall,

they are pearls

in the making

wordless wednesday

20/20 night vision

i have been revisiting
some things lately,
turning them over
(and over) again
in my mind...
sorting them out
in my dreams, and
wishing the 20/20 clarity
of my night vision
translated more easily
into waking life

broken mandala (clean slate)

open a vein

be bled

of your color

be done

with the pain

oh, that it were

so simple a thing

as wiping

a slate clean

rising

i rise each day

on hopeful wings,

with songs learned

in the night watch

still lingering

on my tongue

wordless wednesday (wabi-sabi)

nonsense

i like nonsense,

it wakes up

the brain cells.

fantasy is a

necessary ingredient

in living; it's a way

of looking at life

through the wrong end

of a telescope...

that enables you

to laugh at [some of]

life's realities.

-theodor geisel (1904-1991)