leaving a sheltering home....

wandering..
nomading..
a' journeying..
just plan traveling about..
is all about leaving the sweet safety net
of a sheltering home~

mark twain tells us....
strange travel plans = dancing lessons from god
take one away from the cozy nest ~
out..out into exposure..
exposure to weather, to airplane aire, to the general public !!
(all mother sentient beings...)
to our fellow man/woman/child/dogs, cats, parrots, etc..
exposure to food that is not the food of our family,
toilets that look very different than our tidy thrones,
beds that are lumpy, clerks that are grumpy...
exposure to the interior of ones very own self..

how do we dance with all that is given?

remembering my last trip to india..
arriving at my seat on the plane to discover that
i was placed on the aisle..thank goodness..
in the very last row on the plane..o woe!
you may well know that the seats do not..not..i repeat..
move back..nada reclining position nor reasonable facimile..
i looked to my neighbour, a young indian gent..
and began to exclaim that no! indeed not.. do our seats
move in any direction..growl, gruff, grrrr..
he smiled brightly..shaking his head..
"we are the lucky ones, dear..we are the lucky ones.."

this from rumi....

a baby pigeon stands on the edge of a nest all day.
then she hears a whistle, come to me.
how could she not fly toward that?

wings tear through the body's robe
when a letter arrives that says,

you have flapped and fluttered against limits long enough.
you have been a bird without wings
in a house without doors or windows.

compassion builds the door.
restlessness cuts the key.

ask. step off into air like a baby pigeon.
strut proudly into sunlight, not looking back.

take sips of this pure wine being poured.
do not mind if you have been given an unwashed cup.


there is some hidden delight to be free
from the sheltering home..
to test my murky waters of graciousness, willingness,
gratitude for seats at the edge of the nest..
twigged and ruffled and ready for yes!