Thursday, September 17, 2009

Following the Thread

It's late and my mind is full. Today was day one of my SoulCollage® facilitator training. I should be in bed sleeping and actually had the lights turned out, but this poem kept stirring inside me. I read it a couple of days ago, but was reminded of it again today as I stood in a circle of new friends and we wove together a net of comfort and safety. Over the next few days, we will not only be learning about the art of SoulCollage® facilitation, but also weaving together the different aspects of our own lives that come to surface through card making. I am filled with great anticipation for this adventure.

The Way It Is

There's a thread that you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn't change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can't get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time's unfolding.
You don't ever let go of the thread.
--William Stafford

Today was yet another day in holding onto the thread of this life I call mine.

"fantasy" by lucy

17 comments:

Kel said...

what a powerful poem
no wonder it keeps stirring inside you

gives a whole new meaning to "hanging on by a thread"

Anonymous said...

Kayce, that is beautiful. I also love the image of our individual threads being woven together into a common garment, a 'coat of many colors' to create something whole and beautiful, that is if we all hold on to the thread. Love, Pamela

Anonymous said...

I like the shoes in the collage! Loved also your story about you and Christine getting your boots stuck in the sand (and retrieving them!). I also see shades of Cinderella's slipper here, but can't quite work it out. The woman however, seems to be setting the slipper aside, this is NOT a fairy tale. The flamingo must be old age, since it is at the top of the tier. The little girl dressed as an old lady, fills her shoes with great power! You are destined to do the same!

Madame Kigen ((-:

Tess said...

"But it is hard for others to see."

Sometimes I think our threads are difficult even for us to see.

I love the contrasts in this poem but also the similarities - it's a feast of dressing up.

Abbey of the Arts said...

lucy, I know this probably won't surprise you but I looked for just this very poem yesterday while working on the Ancestors retreat and contemplating the thread which connects us across time. Blessings on your adventure! Love, C

Dianna Woolley said...

Anticipation for the adventure - oh, of course you would not be sleeping! So much to learn, so little time:)....not exactly an original thought but the building on our foundational blocks is so powerful. This poem is a "keeper" for me. Thank you!

We have so much to talk about - can't wait until we get a "download" time, looks like it will be a while with the calendars you and I are sporting these days!

xoxoxo

xoxo

Anonymous said...

Lucy, I admire and support you in every possible way (a given), so I hope that comes through too in my comment above! There is often an unexpected edge of humor in collage work because of the impossible associations of one element seemingly out of context to another. You once asked for feedback on your collage work, and I love trying to make some sort of reasonable sense out the oddity of unconnectedness.

Sue said...

Ooh loving that collage.

I often think about "the thread" running through everything, holding everything together. Sometimes when I am really feeling distraught and stuck down a shithole of existence I think of what that thread is weaving, and how we are looking at the back side of a tapestry at this point in time, all messy threads hanging out the back.

You like to look at the tapestry from the front and that is what I like about you, Lucy Loo Woohoo :)

Kayce aka lucy said...

kel and pamela - yes, a beautiful weaving wonderful poem. thanks for being among my threads!

madame kigen - i always appreciate your "readings." part of the soulcollage process includes drawing cards from our own deck to read. i have about 50 or so cards and when i blindly drew, this was the first one to come up. coincidence? i really felt the power of growing into that playful little girl's shoes. thanks for the insight and support!

Kayce aka lucy said...

tess, christine, SS - love love love the threads that you three bring to my life. i always smile when your comments line up all in a row. :-) xoxo

Kayce aka lucy said...

sue--so, i really like your comment about looking at the tapestry from the front...do say more :-)

Sue said...

Oh, I'm not sure what else *to* say about it, but I do think we see a whole lot of unfinished stuff and a lot of "no's" and sadness and despair etc etc and the backside of God, and we get about with such conviction and reinforcement that God is far away and doesn't really care all that much. It takes spiritual eyes to see beyond all that stuff and sniff the wholeness that is waiting in everything.

I think that other side of the tapestry is felt and experienced most readily when we make art, when we meditate. Seems as soon as we touch on that good love there is suddenly plenty of it to spread around :)

I'm not sure what else to say about it; i've just woken up not long ago haha :)

Kayce aka lucy said...

thanks, sue. that's really beautiful (not bad for a girl who just woke up).

Karen said...

A dear friend of mine just did the Soul Collage facilitator training...and soul collage keeps coming up in other ways in my life, too...is the universe trying to tell me something?

Gabrielle said...

The soul collage facilitator workshop looks terrific; hope you had an enriching time, sharing, learning, creating... it really strikes me as something quite special.

Gabrielle said...

Just visited your new site, Diamonds in the Soul. It's wonderful. It seems like everything is all coming together and this is really your time to flourish and help others to do so too. Congratulations on the new office as well. I'm so happy for you.

Kayce aka lucy said...

karen--my guess is you would love soulcollage. i say find a workshop soon :-) once you get the idea, you can totally do it at home on your own too. although it is powerful to do in community as i witnessed last weekend. hope to say more soon.

gabrielle-it was indeed a very special weekend and i look forward to sharing it with others. nice to hear from you.

and the other is indeed flourishing! i feel especially blessed during this season. thank you.