An Unopened Letter

March 9th, 2007

Checking in: This week was a little tougher for me and little more challenging, but all is well. I think I'm especially ready for next week's Uncovering a Sense of Balance! As part of one of the diving rods in Finding Water, we are asked to search out inspiration from those creative souls who have gone before us. I did a little bit of looking for a biography, not finding the one I wanted and then I thought over the books I already had, some really good ones on women artists. I remember loving a passage on Emily Carr. This reminded me of another book I have in my possession that is just loaded with inspiration, and I mean loaded. I highly recommend it. It's Gail McMeekin's The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women. The author interviewed many women artists, writers, designers, teachers, etc to put together a guide to unleashing your creative power. I have marked up this book with notes and underlined passages and circled quotes (the marks of a book well-loved). And in the margins of the first chapter I found a poem I wrote a few years ago that fits nicely with the Poetry Thursday theme of "red" I think. And it also seems appropriate at this stage of my journey, as I continue to open my heart. I think being open to inspiration and synchronicities is all about opening up your tender, vulnerable heart, speaking your truth, and loving the process.

My heart is an unopened letter,
it has stories to tell,
shall I read it to you?
Shall I take out the
letter opener,
a shining blade,
and cut myself
open?

I may bleed to death
from the open wound
or I may be dried
to dust inside.

I'm not squeamish
or afraid of blood,
I'm ready for
this flood.

Steamed with anger,
I open
like a mussel shell
inspired,
I open
like a hot flower
full of secrets,
I open
like a treasure box
tenderly,
I open
my lips
fierce,
I open
like a lion's yawn
I am open
I am open
for a moment.

Posted by Leah on March 9th, 2007 in Uncategorized | Permalink | 14 Comments |

14 Responses

fierce and gorgeous and vivid -
i love this poem!

Posted by: sophie | Mar 10, 2007 at 9:17 am |

You are SO full of life. I love participating in it, even from a distance.

Posted by: Kathryn | Mar 10, 2007 at 2:59 pm |

Powerful imagery in the poem, Leah – thank you for sharing that…it IS fierce and beautiful. XO

Posted by: tinker | Mar 10, 2007 at 3:21 pm |

beautiful poem, leah!!

Posted by: ruby | Mar 10, 2007 at 5:01 pm |

I love your poem, Leah. Thank you for sharing it with us.

And Gail McMeekin’s book is one of my favorite of all time. Mine’s marked up too I feel inspired to reread it!

Posted by: Olivia | Mar 10, 2007 at 9:31 pm |

Nice poem, don’t you love stumbling on something you’d forgotten? I’ve been looking forward to this new chapter all week and it’s good for me to hear, that others have struggled this past week as well. I’ll have to look for that book now.

Posted by: kristen | Mar 10, 2007 at 10:40 pm |

Beautiful! And yes, what a perfect poem for “red.”

Posted by: Marilyn | Mar 11, 2007 at 12:40 pm |

Sweeeeeeeeet. You are so amazing, Leah. Thanks for all the cool comments on my blog. It’s awesome to make this connection with you, oh-creatively-talented-one-in-so-many-areas! Peace.

Posted by: Eileen Miller | Mar 11, 2007 at 8:50 pm |

Oh Leah. What a poem. Wow! I cannot even express how much I love (and relate to) it.

Posted by: Carla | Mar 11, 2007 at 11:11 pm |

You are SO talented! And you know, I bought that book a while ago and NEVER read it. Sometimes I think I buy books for my future selves.