Dear Friends,

 We hope that you are safe and well.

 Today's Meditation is a poem by Hannah Emerson "Keep Yourself at the Beginning of the Beginning."

 We invite you to join us as we commit ourselves to working tirelessly to end systemic and structural racism in our society, in the church, in healthcare, in the workplace--wherever it shows up so that everyone may come to have more abundant life. May this meditation nourish our contemplative-active hearts and sustain all of us in action.

In the spirit of our philosophy of co-creating community and our awareness that the Spirit speaks through each of us, we invite you to share your meditations with us as well. We truly believe that it is God's economy of abundance: when we share our blessings, our thoughts, our feelings, we are all made richer.

We hope and pray that you find peace, healing, hope and the infusion of joy in your life!

With our love and care,

Ron and Jean

MEDITATION 660: Hannah Emerson: "Keep Yourself at the Beginning of the Beginning

On a recent episode of “Poetry Unbound” from On Being, Padraig O’Tuoma shared the following reflection: “Hannah Emerson is a nonspeaking autistic poet from New York State. And you can get a real sense of the interests about her work from the titles of her books, You Are Helping This Great Universe Explode and The Kissing of Kissing. There’s a way within which the intimacy of her poetry is present in “kissing,” and being present as a speck in an expanding universe is also present throughout her work.” Here's a sample of her work:

“Keep Yourself at the Beginning of the Beginning”

by Hannah Emerson:

“Please try to help me go to the joy that is trying

to go to the beautiful helpful helpful beginning

of the beginning of the very trying freedom

that we make our great great great light

that is nothing but the laughter that is

fooling us into believing that we go

to the trash bin that is your life

that become the treasures

that live in the bottom

of the bin that is

your life yes

yes yes

yes –

please

try to dive

down to the

beautiful muck

that helps you get

that the world was made

from the garbage at the bottom

of the universe that was boiling over

with joy that wanted to become you you

you yes yes yes – please try to go to the colors

that kiss you great great great person of the light

that is becoming you you you yes yes – please

try to keep yourself in the bottom of the bin

yes yes – please try to go to the kissing

muck that is very true to your life yes

yes – please try to meet me there

yes yes – please try to bring

your beautiful nothing

there yes yes”