What if I had been a Kid who Camped?
i find myself
surrounded by
strong women
our original mother,
Nature
the soft glow of fire
the sweet sound of silence
i inhale the smoky air
i root my feet in her earth
i surrender to her gentle waves
i lift my gaze to her heavens
i sense the slow shift -
my nervous system
temporarily settling
then returning to its
normal state of tension
i move my incredible body
in the way he asks me to
slow
steady
honoring the playful
bursts of energy
when they come
my jaw unclenches
my shoulders drop
my hips finally let go
this body holds
so many memories
beautiful
painful
shocking
hard truths
laughter
pleasure
heartache
sorrow
regret
they can all feel as
engulfing as her waters
so i let her hold me
in my joy and
in my pain
and everywhere in between
especially the in between
the unknowing
the fearful reminders of
the lack of safety
the doubtful next steps
but what if
there are no next steps
36 years in this vessel
this sacred home, body
and just now i am learning
the art of slowing down
what if i had been a
kid who camped
would my body have
felt like a safer place to exist
would i have learned sooner to
turn to this precious land for
guidance
relief
acceptance
would i be a
different person
would i be more healed
more calm
more me
“what if i had been a kid who camped”
July 4, 2024
Evangola State Park
Take Me to Church
If one year ago, you would have told me I’d be waking up early on a Sunday morning to go to church, I would have laughed - maybe even spat - in your face.
“Church” is a triggering word with so much weight to it.
I grew up under the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church, which was a true mind fuck as a young teen. “Love everybody” (but really we only mean straight, white, affluent folks).
I lost my connection with the church in high school and for a long time following, refused to admit the existence of God. I’d eventually find my way back to believing in a God - not the one I was raised on though. But my journey to my relationship with spirituality via yoga and other Eastern practices is a story for another time.
So, how did I get back to church?
Well, this is a special kind of church. There are no pews or kneeling, shame or confessions to be made.
Earth Church is a beautiful gathering of like-minded folks under the trees of McCallum Park.
We play music.
We love on and receive from Mother Earth.
We learn about environmental topics and social injustices.
We acknowledge the land.
We dance, we sing, we play.
We connect with our inner child.
If you’re craving community and unsure where to find your people, I want to invite you to church.
And it’s ok if “church” still makes you cringe a little. Please come sit and sing and play and then see you how feel.
Earth Church takes place on the second Sunday of each month at 10am at McCallum Park. Jasper Wolfe and Shannon Andrews Skipper are the two incredible humans in charge. But they’ll tell you that Earth Church is led by all of us. Open to all genders, races, religions. This is truly a place to come 100% as you.
Find more info here at the Earth Church Facebook.
Earth Loving
I smell the earth beneath my toes
gifting me her strength
slowly extrapolating my woes
I hear the wisdom of her trees
sitting silently beneath them
she communicates with me in the breeze
I feel the flow of water around me
her cooling touch on my skin
allowing me to surrender so I can simply be
I see great Mother’s beauty + her gentle grace
she’s teaching me to slow down
+ reminds me it’s not about the race
I taste her sweet nectar in all parts of life
pleasure abounds when I open to it
finally allowing me to release my need for control + strife
Earth Mother
I smell you
I hear you
I feel you
Mother Gaia
I see you
I taste you
I am you
“Earth Loving”
May 2023