Men’s Work, Poem

Men’s work has become an important part of my journey. Sitting in circles is an ancient rite, and I have in the process uncovered part of who I am while letting go of old wounds. The healing journey has influenced my writing. I noted through the rewrites how the characters evolved in response to the changes occurring in me. No longer, for example, did the protagonist’s father need to act as a screen for my father wounds, allowing the character to become who he needed to be. Below is a poem that I wrote as a creative stretch for my circle.                                            

 Poem for my Men’s Circle

     Insanity burns in the tidal surge of lust

     Smashing the authentic self leaving void and must

      Nothing left is faithful and nothing left is real

      Cosmic imperative wants us to unite and to heal

      We call out the directions, we call to ourselves

       Forging a circle to let go our inner hells

`     Arms open and lifted up high              

An offering to earth and sky                 

Energy quickens, elements flame          

New intentions take attentive aim                 

Sacred sage smoke swirls to anoint our journey

      Brother to brother until at last we are free

Consecrated we gather and say how we feel

      We step on the holy carpet where we might heal

We step in-- Lovers, Warriors, Magicians and Kings

We show up— Anger, Joy, Grief, Gratitude, Everything

We take down our armor to share our pain, our gold

We face our darkest shadows and we are quite bold 

We support each other, listening and aware

Colors of red, blue, yellow and white in fanfare

It's time to know...time to choose...time to step forward...into today

even to mistakes, to burned bridges, to broken fences, let us pray

Emotions play out in high drama

Enabling deaths of old trauma

Withholds, take risks, hold Kings Court

Shift, make a choice, pivot and sort

Recover and transform, decide and let go 

Be your authentic self, walk true and grow

Burn the dark, at last we must

Love the dark, in that we will trust

Believe in our Soul, one, two, three

Count the numbers until we see

Rejoice in all that we are ashamed

Rejoice in recalling our true names

Rejoice in mysterious transitions

Rejoice! Rejoice! No more need to run

Mystics come forth and do a dance, practiced and wise

Our circle of men deepens, becomes the light on high

A magic place full of fairy dust

Where brothers are easy and just

A place of free minds, safe surrounds

Where no one ever suffers new wounds       

The humble gather up to sing             

The heart-folk prance on promised wings

The infinite gives birth—rush and doubt                         

Butterfly wings flutter—hush and shout                          

Hearts open and hearts embrace                                   

Friendships in a state of grace                                                 

The Rounds go by, 2,3,4—expansion explodes               

Resistance shrinks inward—tightness implodes              

Good circles whip around—gifts in the new flow             

Soul-spirits dance and sing—good stuff all blows         

Thoughts no longer pursue that we cannot defend

In vulnerability we saw to their end

 Love springs forth, acceptance of who we are

 Love spreads out, mirrors of light to the stars

We resisted and yelled, and we laughed and cried

We spoke our truth, and we silenced the lie

Time to depart in a feather’s soft flight

Time to rest, smile, go fly a pretty kite