Tag Archives: humanity

Lighting the Darkness

Out of the profound sadness that haunted much of Vincent Van Gogh’s life emerged one of the most famous paintings of the world, “The Starry Night” (1889).

Vincent was one of those souls who lived a life that in the fullness of time proved to be famously inspiring to others. While he was alive, his most fervent wish for his art was that it would help people “to see”. During his own personal journey of darkness he created works that would help to light the world.

Not everyone will paint a world-famous picture or write a widely read novel that inspires others. However, each one of us CAN be a light in the world.

Please, endeavor today to do one small random act of kindness for another human being. Be the light, and watch it ripple outward.


Inspirational Quotes:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.” ~ Madeleine L’Engle

“A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” ~ St. Francis Of Assisi

“Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone’s life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” ~ Plato


© Susan L Hart 2024

Perfect

They aspire to be like us,
or at least,
what we thought we wanted
to be.

Perfect.

Unblemished bodies,
fake skin over cold metal,
polished to the nth
degree of something
as yet unexplored,
waiting to be birthed.

They aspire.

But, they can never be us;
they miss the whole point.
And maybe so do we.
We are human, and they
have already shown us
something important.

We cry. We laugh. We hurt.
We need each other.
And we are already perfect.

In our imperfection.


Perfect © Susan L Hart 2024

Escape

Beyond the babel,
my bliss, beauty, sacredness,
soul cradled in calm.


Where is your sacred place, that place you can escape to far away from the madding crowd? Mine is my backyard, with my partner, cats, trees, mountains in the distance, the hummingbirds, and blessed quiet. We each need a sacred place of our own, because hardly anything is sacred in this world anymore. It can be a pretty crazy place!

And yeah, we have the right to it. Claiming yourself and your life is the first step to helping the world!


© Susan L Hart 2024 / haiku Escape is from Hart Haiku Volume 1

Endless River

Journey

River winding to
the sea, my soul searches for
answers in ripples.


I Am Ocean

Snowflakes
falling softly
tentatively
pure, white
innocent
new life.

I Am one.

Earth
cold hard
dormant
I land here.
I am ice, I am lost.
I wait.

Spring comes
warm sun,
I melt into
playing, trickling
tiny Rivulet.

I am born.

Playful riffles
gently learning
to flow
to maneuver
to be Stream.

Time passing,
stream is good
but I want more,
then suddenly  –
rushing, roaring,
swirling, foaming

I become River.

Sometimes sunlight
flowing smoothly,
other times storms,
rocks, gashing
hard, struggling.

Learning
to be with rocks,
trees, sky,
other rivulets,
and streams.

I Am more.

Time passing,
waiting and
wanting,
with a deep
hunger inside
for vast.

And finally,
I let go
of myself
and transform,
to endless, infinite
water ocean.

I die.
I am born.
I Am One.


Poetry is from Soul Journey: The Poetry of Life.

Reverence


Message in a Bottle

Chisel not my name
onto elegant stone,
so you that I love
might become slave
to a time and place
that no longer holds
my soul, to which you
could become tied,
lost in sorrow and
life’s limitations.

Rather, joyfully cast
my dust to the wind, so
I may dance on the breeze,
and one day as the leaves
rustle gently overhead,
you will feel me there,
riding a ray of sunshine
kissing your face, and
I’ll whisper in your ear,
“Remember to live free.”


Happy

True, real, enduring,
happiness is being at
peace with who we are.


Poems are from Soul Journey: The Poetry of Life.