A very special person wrote of me, “Curiosity killed the cat, but not Helen.” She sees the essential me. Poetry is like that. It gurgles up from a depth previously unreachable and spills its truth onto the page. I write poetry to know myself, and thus, to know life. My curiosity spirals down into the darkness of my being and strikes pay dirt in the form of revelation.
Of Bone and Stone emerged as a result of my weekly program — Mindful Meditation: Awaken, Breathe, Create. Each week, my circle of companions come together to meditate, discover and transform through their written words. Each week, with the inspiration of a visual image, we write to unravel the mystery of our lives. In having done so, I now lay out before you, a poetic chronology of my own inner struggles and triumphs through my personal journey from fear into joy.
My photographic collaborator, Betty Schelske, journeyed weekly with me into the joy of writing and birthed her own creative genius through a camera lens. Betty’s inspirational portraits illustrate how that which exists in the external world mirrors what resides within.
The journey into one’s creative essence epitomizes the hero’s journey, and we were accompanied by many other heroic souls who savoured the experience and bolstered esteem. Thank you all for contributing to the cocoon of creativity that emerged essence and uncovered joy.
And thank you, Charlotte, for your thoughtful attention to design and layout but mostly for your own curious nature and never-ending urge to discover what remains to be known.
Peace, love, and joy,
Helen Maupin
The Colour of Quiet
Quiet has a whiteness to it,
full of contentment and ease.
No wind disturbs its depths
other than a soft breeze kissing
the skin’s surface.
Quiet travels into the soul
journeying great distances
to reveal unknown truths.
We can rest peacefully here
without evidence of urgency.
Chaos lives in the fires of life
burning bright reds and yellows.
Fiery fingers snapping for attention
READ MOREpress into the senses until an
explosion bursts forth its ashes.
Both colours lead us forward
through pleasure and pain.
Often preferred is the colour of quiet,
tho’ it is the double-edged sword
that sharpens the wit.
COLLAPSEWe have come into this exquisite world to experience ever and ever more deeply our divine courage, freedom and light! ~ Hafiz (1325-1389)
Helen’s poetry is a distillation of a meditative life that has awakened her courage to give an exquisite voice to our human hearts.
