The Woman Before Me

The Woman Before Me

The woman before me knew What I could only grasp Years spent reaching Stretching my heart wide open

But she knew inherently And showed me in action Inspired me through energy And the rest was up to me

I learned the dance Was no dance at all Authenticity was breathed Sincerity poured

From my pores and my heart Who I was leapt forward I didn’t need to try She was already within me

Her blood in my veins Her wisdom in my soul Bereft of needs I could now soar

Love deepened my roots So my branches would grow Guts and compassion spilled on the table My being could thrive

No need to measure Competition a dead end Who she is was more than enough And so my life could truly begin

The woman before me Knew what I could only hope I am whole I am her, more than enough

Today is special. It marks the birth of my beloved nonna, my maternal grandmother Paola. She is truly one of the greatest gifts in my life, the woman before me I hope to carry into my present and future as a mother, wife, sister, daughter, and friend. I cannot thank her enough or properly put into words what her love meant to me. For 30 years I witnessed her authentic being shine, generously giving unconditional love to us all, without expectation or need for return. She is love and therefore she effortlessly lives it and shares it with all who cross her path. She is funny, fierce, vibrant, forgiving, encouraging, and one of the most authentic souls I’ve ever seen roam this Earth. I’m happy to know her, better for being her granddaughter, and exceedingly proud to have her blood coursing through my veins. And she is the best damn cook this planet has ever seen.

I love you, Nonna. Can’t wait for my own son to feel your love and I hope he one day sees the same light from your eyes shining through mine.

Birds Sing & Humans Dream

Birds sing wildly in the trees while we sleep

Animals surrounding our love nest

And only we understand why we weep

Because beings other than humans just know they belong

But how can we somehow sing the same song

Croon the sounds of joy and burst with radiant being

Knowing, believing

I succumb to my nature with my love by my side

His smell, his skin, welcoming me home

I am not alone

With thoughts, with fears, or anything human

In intimacy, all definitions clear

We are but one being sharing breath

Safe to build our tribe and love out loud together

Forever

While sleeping to the soundtrack of a birdsong we belong

So we must never forget

This is always there

No matter where

Or when

It exists within

That harmonious feeling you see Is merely a reflection of you back to me

We shine life into each other's eyes

Reverberate love to the infinite skies

The birds watch from above

The earth encourages from below

Let's go

And keep going

Building

Thriving

Sing, dance, express

Live like we're dying

Worry not, sweet human

This is not a test

It's life

Your life

You are life

So quit the strife

And decide

To be Free

Live and love wildly

Satisfy yourself

And be kind

Keep flowin

There is no rewind

So find

Your meaning

Your purpose to be

You deserve love, and life

No more

No less

Than me

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You're Already A Peacock

Please excuse any potty language below:) You can be rich Perhaps you're poor Fact of the matter is We all poop We all cry We excrete A cavalcade of weird things We share the same pleasures And plights We're not objects We're beings Who cares what your job title is Of what importance is your income Our hearts beat just the same High status No status We're all the same No matter your name You deserve respect Love A Chance A best friend To be heard And encouraged Because we all poop We share common fears Of embarrassment Failure Being misunderstood Unloved Rejected Unseen There is more uniting us Than dividing us Let's connect And recollect All the ways we can love And support Knowing we're all the same deep down Gives us wings to fly high No better And no worse We're already peacocks So let's smile Be bright And bold Let our freaky feathers fan out And welcome love in To dismiss our uniqueness Or disrespect another's Would be a damn sin Let go Soar You're already a peacock What are you waiting for?

Twisted

TwistedGut aching Heart calling I know the direction Just need forward motion For all parts of my being To move together in kind Living as one cohesive piece More heart Less mind Shift Transition Progress Evolve Answers inside Each problem solved Nurture Your nature Foster True being Love is my first action Living is believing Let's get twisted

Who Are You, Really?

Who are you, really?I am just a woman in search of a satisfying breath A moment where I mistake myself for no one but a kindly beating heart I don't question my path or my intentions I no longer doubt my worth or intuition I am in it Owning it Sharing it Declaring it But in truth I am still just a searcher I do crave meaning Question unyieldingly Wishing for the best While mentally preparing for the worst I feel loved But can't be sure if I'm liked And I feel guilt for any of these ridiculously egoic thoughts But they're there And so I search I explore I implore I inquire I hypothesize I analyze Refusing to abide Or buy into Anything Stridently in quest But I must yield And not forget The answer is here Plain to see It's you It's me That's all there needs to be I'm called to be a good woman My purpose is to love And love well And good With hard laughs And great sex And long hugs And earth made drugs The universe needs me to give And be compassionate In big and small ways Through late nights And early days My microcosm deserves an even better me I will only grow, accept and properly digest Good fortune and success Once I'm square with me All the beauty And all the beast Everything I am And all I'll never be Must live in a content place inside me More accepting of me More tolerant of you More forgiving of my past More trusting of our future Better wife Better roommate Better sister Better daughter Better friend Better loved one True to me Receptive to anyone Who I am, really, is A sweet girl And a feisty woman Who wants to be loved And to love And to feel at peace Without striving and strain Just thriving Vibing To be

Where's the Beauty?

Where's the beauty?I feel the cool sting of my dog's nose on my hip My eyes blink open and I take in the day Sauntering out of bed in my PJs No thoughts churn as my mind is so clear Rays of light escape through windows I absorb the pure newness of each moment And I am carried away by morning The stillness inside awakens my senses Envelops me in the wide open space of being The trees whisper in the wind Birds sing in a vivacious clarity And I am at peace No filter for which to speak or think No mask to hide flaws or true feelings Just life being lived Breath being breathed Just me

I Wonder When

I wonder whenI wonder when I might stop and suspend The feeling that I am not whole from within That the more I might balance and bend The closer I'll get to that oh so sweet end But the end has already arrived and informed The sensation that I must each day be reborn To an abyss of love no longer new But old and refurbished, hidden from view I wonder when

I had a moment of wonder the other day and those few lines spilled from my heart. It's a silly rhyme but it continues to speak to me. And I thought it may speak to you as well.

My aim is to share enthusiasm and wonder with others, to stimulate curiosity and inspire more joy in everyday being. This world can be frustrating, nonsensical, overwhelming, and plain exhausting. But hot damn can it be magnificent too. I hope my words and actions give you a boost on a hard day, or maybe help you see a little light at the end of what might be the darkest tunnel.

http://youtu.be/ZYOfxptabVk

Transition

Leaving sucks. Goodbyes blow. Boxes. Tape. Fitting your lives into a 6x12 box. All in the name of transition. Change. M-O-V-I-N-G. As tears fight to escape my face, my heart beats into an ache, a gnawing, an uncomfortable shift. What is this? Oh yes, this is transition.

Homes of my friends zoom by my window pane. And I am no longer the same. Fuck, the pain. As soon as I go, I know. Red nosed and rosey cheeked, the past fades away with all remaining tears. And suddenly the future is the present. Damn transition.

Rain pounds like shattering glass, mocking my tears, revealing my weaknesses, and my true nature. Raw. Open. Vulnerable. Unsure.

Suddenly, clouds part, light finds its way through, as it always does. And I am new, as I always am. Thank God for transition.

Uncertainty rings like the tone of a bell I've been waiting to hear my whole life. It beckons me to step up, shed the old skin, emerge into something new. Something I've yet to discover, yet I feel it brewing. I'm ready.

Amidst the sadness, I've laughed far harder than I've cried. I've hugged more times than I can count, each squeeze of support adding to my armor, attune to the reality of transition like never before.

Having learned, laughed, loved, fucked up, I am equipped Now. I know how. Sure it gets harder, but I get better. Each transition propels me further, deeply entrenched on my weird little path. I am ready.

Hell yes, transition.

Be Primal

Warning: If you are my father, grandparent or one who is uncomfortable with sex...DO NOT READ FURTHER. I write this with love:)

Why ignore biology Stifle intimacy Fear Of what Unbridled ecstasy Reality meets fantasy A language of love and lust Leaves you hanging in the dust Stripped away Left to decay Why fuck tomorrow When you can fuck today Sex is a must Move or you’ll rust Yield and adjust Feel and thrust Let go Be free You can renew Just be In the moment Out in the open Don’t be afraid Just get laid It’s not a game You can’t win You won’t lose Just choose To fuck Say so what Let’s rumble And tumble Get in trouble Fumble Draw it in Breathe it out No reason No doubt No order No rhyme Here and Now Fuck time No thinking No stressing No guessing Just in it Sin it Win it Let’s get into it Together Intertwined Sublime

Why I Practice

I practice Yoga because like this glimmering water, I want what I reflect upon to be clear. I want to remain open to new perspectives.

I want to see fear as an opportunity and then have the guts to seize it.

I want to see my failures as reasons to try again, to keep getting better, not as a means to retreat or give up entirely.

I want to act with grace in the matters I can control and I want the wisdom to surrender what I cannot.

I want to feel empowered in my body, marvel and respect the vessel that gives me life.

I want to recognize the dream in living everyday life while being patient and passionate about the dreams of my future.

I want each breath to be fueled with enthusiasm and gratitude, not one taken for granted.

I want to love generously, without inhibition, every single day, beginning with myself.

All this wanting leaves dreams lying stagnant in my mind. So I practice. I do. I fall time and time again until one day, I AM.