May the reason I practice yoga be
To lead others to realizing the true nature
of the Self

Yet in doing that empowering others
Especially my fellow sisters
to advocate for themselves

To not let men walk all over us
In the name of spiritual practices
or enlightenment

For us to claim our voice
As the creative energy that makes
it all happen

Refusing to be treated as anything less
We are not just servants
of the masculine

We are the whirl that creates
The motion and maintains
the balance

People have tried to keep the waves
From rising to their fullest majesty
not anymore, and never again

Burned Pages
Burn away the pages
of my past
told by strangers to
my soul.

Burn away the tainted
edges
gripped with desperate
wishes.

Awash my body
with the healing
embers of
my own spark.

Heed my call,
the scream from
my lungs.
Heed the fire
held in my heart.

​- Peyton Cram

Attune me to today
Let my words
Be your words
And may I respond
To life's challenged
From the fusion of
My humanity and
My divinity

I’m tired and
I just want to go home
I am hungry all the time and
I constantly yearn to be touched
Not just by anyone--
By the one I adore more than I should
I crave the things I cannot have and
I resent having to wear this meat suit

My soul is already home
My body longs to catch up
My body is exhausted
My body still wanders
My body constantly feels teased
My body is hungry all the time and
My body yearns to be touched
Can’t she just get with the program?

I know I am not my body
My soul is who I truly am
When I recognize this truth, I am at peace
And it’s so fucking hard to stay there
When I live in this human shell
I am not my limbic brain and yet
I have a limbic brain, a brain that is tired
And just wants to go home

​

One

I want nothing.
Nothing pleases me.
I celebrate nothing.
I love nothing.
Nothing beckons me beyond the urge to strive,
a constant yen to stave off Zen.
I want no sound, no taste, no smell,
no color, shape, or texture.
Nothing has plenty of nothing,
respite for my senses,
and that is what I want,
for a bit of time every day.

​- Velma Lee Barber

​

Dear Jamie-
I am nearing the end of my journey
And I've been with you through much of yours
I was there when wanting to off yourself
Was still in your thoughts every night
And I'm glad that you stayed around to take care of me
And that you stayed around to let me take care of you

Remember, dear Jamie, you named me Joy for a reason
I am the only animal in your life you got to name
And you named me Joy
You needed more Joy in your life
And I was happy to give it
I still am

I hope that now, as I near the end of my time
You are closer to learning that Joy is within you
Love is within you
Light is within you
Like your beloved Dorothy, everything you need is
Already within you

Including Joy
I still have some time left, so I'll hang around
Until I know that you've gotten it for sure
At least I know that
You will never let anyone
Lock me up in a cold basement again

Old with new
out Grown
Child with Adult
Responsibility Shifts
Kid like heart
It is tough
Truth with Lies
oil and vinegar
They don’t mix
Sometimes holding on
creates Confusion
Contusions
Who does she want to be?
A kid
Not possible.
What is real?
What is her present moment?
32 next week.
Single.
Differently Able
Perspective Changer
What makes her go on her own?
Playing with going
No one else
Just herself.
Fireworks Beautiful colors
Got scared
Loud noises
Echoing
Just wanted to see.
She drove through traffic
Testing her ability
She felt fear and she felt...
Freedom
It’s weird.
Guilty for going alone
and no one directs this life anymore.
She just cannot wait for someone to say “lets go”
No.
Boundary
Self Power.
She’s got perseverance.
She’s got Community Damn it.
Go try. Break fear.
Wallowing chokes out growth.
She’s shifting.
Transitions are meant with tears
and that’s okay.
Cry.
Supported.
Didn’t see that one coming.
Space opened just for you to feel
other people’s presence
and kitties
heartbeat’s
Balance.
She opened-up her
Rib cage.
Not everyone sees.
How she copes
reads and challenge
with Comprehension
oooo
that not easy.
They have been trying
and she dropped her wall
She doesn’t want to live in fear
that’s not cool at all
She’s worth more than
the self-sabotage
Thankful for a moment
spoken into her life
Speaking to her “let them control their own boundary”
And the body is hers for purposeful slowing down reasons
Not to ignore the fact asking for help-- is in that lesson
Logic with emotion
Won’t work hand and hand
and hers is human
Expression is in discovery
Be
It will come through play
Allowed to create
Silence and with speaking
Hmmm.
Silent no more
She works to speak.
Connect.
Yes, it’s tough
And well hell
She meant to be heard.
Slow and steady
Practice
She gains momentum
Nothing to prove just gains for herself
A Voice, Freedom, Living, and Personal
Growth.
Blessed to be among
people who see this when she has fallen
And helps dust her off
and stand her back on solid
ground.


Painted rock image featuring the expressive arts therapy practice of Irene Rodriguez