Flying

God, I can’t fit in this box anymore. I can’t fly in there. Instead of flying, people are clones, listening with ears glued to the podium, watching them lift up stones. I cannot. And nondenominational is my least favorite church! It’s not who I am, it’s not even my culture.

It was a one way conversation, until I headed into the woods. There was a presence there that I knew so well. The further up the mountain I went, the stronger the freedom. As I looked up through the canopy, He was there. No I did not see Him, but I knew.

It was as if He said, “My son keep flying – and by the way, put your armor back on.” “I have a job for you to do – don’t forget your helmet.” As my arm reached for the metal, I realized I had the strength, I knew who I was, and I was at peace.

            

Poetry and Image © Copyright 2015, ancient skies

Peace and blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”

Leaving the Stream

There are times, where we learn and grow,

leaving the stream gradually,

our soul longing for the solid earth,

the strength of certainty,

the dirt feels right, between our toes.

Still, we want the risk, the excitement of the waves,

the freedom of the horizon, the unkown,

as an eagle dwells at the base of our skull,

reminding us of past victories.

Following wings, our spirits climbing high, never looking back,

as we look forward into the rising sun,

realizing we really do have courage,

and we can make it after all.

       

Poetry and Image © Copyright 2015, ancient skies

Peace and blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”

Ideas on Blogging and Following

So you are blogging and having a good time, and you begin to follow other bloggers because you love their work so much. Suddenly, before you know it, it’s whoa, whoa, there are too many! What am I going to do now??? How did I get so overloaded???

Ok so let’s back it up some. Here are some brief ideas about following:

Follow blogs you really enjoy:  Remember though that you can’t follow everyone. Let’s say 200 people follow your blog and they each put out 2 posts a day. If you follow all 200 people that follow you, then you will have 400 posts to look at! That’s not going to work.

Keep it simple:  If some of the blogs you follow only post once a day or once a week, then you might not get overloaded. If you follow photography blogs, they will usually take less time, and 2-3 of them might be equal in time invested, to one poetry posting.

Remember to stay involved:  This is tough because we all get busy. So the key here is to have balance, and not feel guilty if you can’t read their post that day. Maybe consider going back to them, and reading several of their posts when you can catch up.

Don’t get offended:  If someone doesn’t like your post, let it go and move on.

People are different than you, and they are not always going to post things you agree with, or they may use words that bother you. But you know for sure they are an awesome poet! My suggestion here is just skip that one. However if the blogger continues on a path, that you don’t want to follow (in spite of their awesome talent) then consider not following. It’s ok – don’t feel guilty about doing an unfollow!

Learn from other bloggers:  Diversity means we learn from each other and we all grow. I love your blogs! By the way what does the picture above have to do with blogging? Absolutely nothing! Take chances and have fun!

Enjoy your blogging!

      

I wish you peace.

       

Commentary and Image © Copyright 2015, nicodemasplusthree

Blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”

A Vision for Tree

Not much more than a sapling,

with arms extended,

holding up birds with dignity.

The Creator gave a gift to tree one day,

a vision, where the office building was an empty shell,

the sky was on fire with pink, and orange,

melting with blue,

and then tree saw just one acorn, growing on his limb,

as the sky went to grey, and the grass became green again,

he let it drop, and in no time, there was an army,

of saplings growing, taking back stolen territory,

as their roots tore up the parking lot,

and tree was more than a sapling,

they were all strong now,

holding up birds, with dignity.

Tree knew it was only a vision,

but he was encouraged.

          

Poetry and Image © Copyright 2015, ancient skies

Blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”

Doe on the Dark Path

Doe walked along the dark path,

not in the mood to be chased by hunters,

seldom any light, they could not find her here,

and she was tired of the war,

many of the deer nation were dying,

and it wasn’t about food,

couldn’t they just be left alone?

And these humans did not honor the creation,

did not play by the rules,

not like the First People, who carried no guns,

no explosions breaking the silence,

they honored the deer, and thanked them,

taking only what they needed.

There were rumors in the wind now,

that the Creator was not happy,

and the war against the deer would soon be over,

that people would only be part of history.

Doe was sure hoping,

that the end would come soon,

her heart was heavy,

as sprinkles of light touched,

the forest floor.

          

Poetry and Image © Copyright 2015, ancient skies

Blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”

The South Side of the Mountain

The south side of the mountain held a secret for many years. Up near the ridge in the caves, runaway slaves would hide, seeking redemption. An old woman would be there with pieces of bread, some apples and cheese. It was the best meal anyone had had in months.

Each runaway heard, some for the first time, that they did matter, they were loved. The old woman would tell them that the slave owners with a Bible in one hand, and a whip in the other, were wrong. Those people needed to repent she said, or there was lightning coming to their house, for sure.

Most of the runaways only stayed long enough to heal their wounds, to gain their strength back, to learn about forgiveness, and then they were gone further north. Some stayed long enough to learn how to read (just the basics). Everyone hugged the old woman, and left with songs in their hearts.

It was only recently the story became known. Some hikers found the caves, a pile of old books, a pair glasses, and a pair of shoes. The old woman’s journal was in the pile of books. It was recorded that there were 132 people redeemed, on the south side of the mountain, up near the ridge, in the caves. May the old woman rest in peace.

Note: This is fiction, but it is very close to the truth.

            

Writing and Image © Copyright 2015, ancient skies

Blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”

A New Name

I not only have a new look for the site now, I have decided to change the name to Ancient Skies. I believe this name better reflects what the site is about and who I am as a writer. There is a lot here about nature, culture, spirituality, love, and all born out of a sense of wonder, with some mysticism at times. The web address and the email are the same for now.

I want to thank everyone for your continued support and participation. You are awesome. I hope you continue to enjoy the writing here. The mountains and rivers are calling, so hang on as we explore new territory.

       

Commentary and Image © Copyright 2015, nicodemasplusthree

Blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”

A Quote on Compassion

A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion, are things which renew humanity.

Buddha

I love this quote because it has two wonderful meanings. I believe Buddha is saying here, that there is an outward impact that can change the world, when we have compassion and a kind heart towards others. There is a wonderful transformation that can take place in the world around us. Sometimes it is as easy as saying kind things.

Secondly when we are kind, and help other people, we ourselves are impacted for the better. We grow in the process, and learn the value of compassion and of other people. We are renewed in our service to others.

We all win when we practice compassion!

I wish you peace.

         

Commentary and Image © Copyright 2015, nicodemasplusthree

Blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”

Ancient Skies

It’s easy to look up into the blue, and remember the ancient skies. A mythical world where kings and queens rule together, where women are not slaves. Where color is embraced, and each of us is honored for the treasure we are. And war is only a last resort, with royalty running in all our veins.

In the clouds you can see the Creator. The wisdom, and compassion from eternity. Is there any reason to not believe? Someone who knows us, and wraps us in His arms.

If you look closely past the trees and listen, you can hear the songs of the First People. Running free, clean souls, and where the earth is sacred. Before the bad times, a land of hope without the stain of factories, and without the chains of fences.

We can only see the ancient skies in our minds now, but our spirits can still run free, and we can still have royal blood. Proving in a mirror how closely we are related. Embracing our colors, loving each other.

Peace.

      

Poetry and Image © Copyright 2015, nicodemasplusthree

Peace and blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”

Pages

You read my open book,

and did not reject it’s pages,

you embraced the ink, the smudges,

along with the exclamation points,

rough sentences, and handsome metaphors,

always hoping the love story would never end.

You became my poetry, my muse,

never hidden, filling me with wonder,

giving my mouth and pen the words,

so we can both live, beyond the stars,

in the greatest of all stories.

My Love.

          

Poetry and Image © Copyright 2015, nicodemasplusthree

Peace and blessings to everyone.

“If you love nature, you will love people.”