During the performance on grief and mystery,
the poet leaves the stage to meet his wife,
who moves from the back of the room, where
she’s been vending, into his open arms.
She flows like silk toward him, a gentle pour
into the shelter of clasped palms, hands at back,
whisper of near-brushing cheeks.
They spin, languid circles, faces lit
by the intimacy that lives in the silence
of so many years side by side,
while a guitar strums below the yearning vocals
of half of the onstage duo.
And I watch, eyes sea-salted
to behold this grief breathing between them,
this dance a delicate nowness already vanishing,
each slow step a kind of clear-eyed devotion,
how, I think, letting the welling spill,
we open ourselves to love, risking each loss
tucked in its shimmering folds.
***Inspired by Stephen Jenkinson’s and Gregory Hoskins’ Nights of Grief & Mystery Tour
An Evening of Singing Our Grief
“we are asking you to make a sound. make the sound you need by breathing. make the sound that calls us in.” - Alexis Pauline Gumbs
Join the Salt Trails collective for a night of expressing our grief out loud...of moving it through our bodies through toning, singing and other vocalizing. All griefs, from the personal to the planetary, are welcome.
Register here to receive directions and guidelines.
A free grief workshop with Peace Day Philly
Shaman, teacher and writer Martín Prechtel has said “All war is unmetabolized grief.” He attributes the predominance of violence in our society, along with many of our other societal and individual ills, to the grief we haven’t expressed. I’ve partnered with Peace Day Philly this year to offer a free grief workshop for caregivers, service providers and others grieving a loss. We’ll connect to and express our sorrows through writing prompts, meditation and ritual while witnessing and affirming each other in community. Registration is required by September 12.
Peace Day Philly is the local initiative for the UN International Day of Peace on September 21. Peace Day Philly organizes, collaborates on and encourages programs and actions related to personal, local and global peace on and around Peace Day. See the schedule for other programs and activities that are happening this year, from Sept.
Let’s write and walk in the woods together
"A walk in nature walks the soul back home." - Mary Davis
Nature can be a great healer and wisdom teacher for the heartaches we experience along life’s journey. I had such a beautiful time leading this workshop on the grounds of Hildacy Preserve in the spring that I’m returning this fall. In this workshop, we will explore the restorative power of nature through writing and guided practices as we walk together through the woods and meadows, and along the creek, listening to our inner voices, as well as our more-than-human kin.
The cost is $5 for Natural Lands members; $10, nonmembers. Learn more and sign up here.
A grief careshop for the change of seasons
Gift yourself a mindful pause in the midst of life’s busyness — to acknowledge and honor your losses with support, guidance, and the salve of being held by community.
In this grief careshop, we'll create room to listen to our hearts through guided visualization, writing, ritual, and group sharing.
Find out more here.
Join me for 5 weeks of grief-tending
I’m excited to join Mount Airy Learning Tree for the fall term as one of their new instructors. We’ll meet for five Thursdays, from October 19-November 16, at Wesley Enhanced Living, 6300 Greene St., Philadelphia. The fall can be such a grief-filled time of year, especially as the holidays approach. Give your grief a gentle place to land in this reflective and nurturing series. Registration: $79. Sign up here.