and you tried to change didn’t you?
closed your mouth more
tried to be softer
prettier
less volatile, less awake
but even when sleeping you could feel
him travelling away from you in his dreams
so what did you want to do love
split his head open?
you can’t make homes out of human beings
someone should have already told you that
and if he wants to leave
then let him leave
you are terrifying
and strange and beautiful
something not everyone knows how to love.

Warsan Shire

Stillness to Listen

"May we find a little stillness- a place for rest & daydreaming, a time for letting our deepest longing guide us back to our soul desires in those places where we may have wandered a little from who we are in the busyness of life. Of course there are risks in living close to those desires- risk of faillure, risk of fulfillment, risk of living with the fullness & messiness & heart-opening beauty of being human every day. May we find the courage to live a soul-directed life."

Two Puddles Chatting

It rained during the night
And two puddles formed in the dark
And began chatting.
One said,

"It is so nice to at last be upon the earth
And to met you as well,

But what will happen when
The brilliant Sun comes
And turns us back into spirit again?"

Dear ones,
Enjoy the night as much as you can.

Why ever trouble your heart with flight, when you have just arrived
And your body is so full of warm desires.
And look:

So many meadows of soft hair are
Planted upon you.

Why ever trouble yourself with God
When He is so unjudging
And kind

Hafiz

Money

“There is no river like craving. Rivers can sometimes fill their banks, but the wants of human beings can never be filled…Even if money were to fall from the skies like rain, the sensual desires of human beings would not be satisfied.”  Buddha

Love

“Love has no other
desire but to fulfill itself. To melt and be like a running brook that
sings its melody to the night. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and
...give thanks for another day of loving.”

~Kahlil Gibran

Love

When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

Kahlil Gibran

Choice

"If we do not choose consciously, we will react unconsciously through our impulses and hidden desires, feeling as though they have control over our lives."   Polly Young-Eisendrath

Subject or Object

"Those who identify with being objects rather than subjects function more in terms of what they "ought" to do, what they "have" to do, or what the "should" do because their sense of worth arises from others evaluations, reflections, desires.   They have missed out on learning how to be self-determining, although they may believe they have learned.   The telltale sign that they are functioning as objects rather than subjects is, as we have repeatedly seen, is feeling resentful and overwhelmed by their daily activities- feeling as though someone else were in charge."  Polly Young-Eisendrath

Life and Limitations

"Exercising choice and intentionality does not necessarily lead to the outcomes we desire.   We are limited by our weaknesses, mistakes, ignorance, circumstances, physical limitations, illnesses and death.   But as we learn to make decisions in our daily lives, we become more enlightened about our strengths and limitations, and how we depend on others for what we cannot do ourselves."  Polly Young-Eisendrath

Desires and Dreams of a Woman

"Many women believe that they ARE living their own desires when they choose to be thin, chic, fashionable, sexy- imitating the anorectic muse of our era.   And young mothers may feel that they have chosen, rather than been elected, to be full-time moms.  But these are not free or autonomous choices when they develop from conscious or unconscious desires to be wanted, approved or worthy."  Polly Young-Eisendrath

Personal Authority

"As you come to know the difference between your desire to be desirable and your desire to make your own decisions, you will understand more clearly how to cope with the pressures that arise in yourself and others when you begin to take yourself seriously.   You will come to see that making claims for your own authority can sometimes lead to being seen as the hag-bitch, and you will learn how to conserve your authority in the face of challenges, attacks, and negative labels.   Holding on to your authority means breathing deeply and standing firmly behind your decisions without shame or blame."  Polly Young-Eisendrath

Sovereignty

"To be capable of personal sovereignty, you must come to know all of your desires.  When you know your own desires, then you can choose among them and begin to discriminate the various paths your desires may lead you down."  Polly Young-Eisendrath

Addiction, Cravings and Desire

"Cravings or longings that arise from desire for what was merely gratifying or pleasurable are not reliable guides to autonomy because they lead to  impulse and addiction.  We can never satisfy such cravings.   They are based on the absence of something we want (slenderness, sex, money, ideal life partner), which no longer seem so exciting if or when we get it."   Polly Young-Eisendrath

Object or Subject

"A woman who identifies with being the object of desire is not the source of her own inspiration; she does not feel as though her life belongs to her.   Her vitality and imagination, her efforts and plans, are directed toward the desires of others.   To be the object of desire means to have no core self, no clear autonomy and self-determination that are under your command.  Being the subject of your own desires does not preclude having an attractive appearance, or a pleasant manner.   But appearance, manner, niceness, self-sacrifice are never central motivators for the woman who is the subject.   She speaks confidently and clearly even in the face of challenge, conflict and her own anxiety.   Because she wants to be known for who she is, instead of how she appears, she is straight-forward and direct."   Polly Young-Eisendrath

Being Nice

"When we cloak our desires in niceties and seductions, we protect ourselves from being known directly and imply that others must always be nice to us.   This kind of eggshell quality of female desire suggests that our needs must be hidden, that they are dangerous."   Polly Young-Eisendrath

Desire

"Man's many desires are like small metal coins he carries about in his pocket.   The more he has, the more they weigh him down."   Satya Sai Baba

Understanding

"When all paradises are lost, when all desires drop, suddenly it is your innermost nature to be blissful.  For that nothing is needed.   Just understanding is enough.   The way of the Buddha is the way of understanding."   Osho