Just Simply BE

This is the first poem I've written that I turned into a song. I was gifted a ukulele and I had never played an instrument before but I was determined to learn how to play. I knew I would need a song to get me through the impending and subsequent death of my mom. After she died, I also knew that my relationship would die as well because it wasn't feeling good despite my best efforts to make it work. I moved out on my own and not long after that, I received the news that my brother was terminally ill. When I visited him in the hospital we had a heart to heart chat. I asked him how he was feeling about this part of his soul's journey and he told me that it was between him and his doctor. He always was one to keep things very close to his chest. I respected his answer and changed the subject. I read him one of my poems and together we sang the lyrics to the song 'Father and Son' by Cat Stevens. I told him about my relationship ending and he told me I needed to find out who I am and I said, "John, I do know who I am." He gave me that big brother look and replied, "Yes, but you don't know fully so you need to spend some time by yourself." When it was time for me to leave, I gave John a kiss on the forehead and told him I loved him, knowing it would be the last time I'd see him on this earthly plane. I sat in the driver's seat of my car in the hospital parking lot, rested my head on the steering wheel and cried a 1000 tears.

Turns out John was right! I'm over a year on my own (well, not completely because I have my sweet dog Kali) and I have never felt more connected to who I am than now. Not long after John died, I moved again from the Valley to the South Shore where it feels much better for my soul. Three weeks after I settled in, John came to visit me in a dream. I thanked him for his wise council and we had another heart to heart. Focusing on what really matters in life and what genuinely feels good to your soul is paramount. Whenever I play this song, I feel immense gratitude. The lyrics magically appeared while I was hiking the Blomiden trail with Kali. Thank you to the crow who inspired me to just simply be and let the outside world and circumstances unfold naturally with all its ups and downs and twists and turns. The shitty moments are just as productive as the good moments. It's all flow. The solutions to everything really do appear when you step back and see the big picture. Time is an illusion. The only time is NOW. No matter what is going on, you can always ground into the Now - the present moment.

I've written all day

filled a page or two

a thousand scattered words

and no breakthrough

so I asked the crow

on the tip of the tree

how do you manage

life so easily?

and this is what he said to me

just simply be

just simply be

rest in the arms of uncertainty

be like the nest on the branch of the tree

for it knows nothing else but to just simply be

when the sky opens and the rain is set free

it reminds me don't get caught in the web I weave

so I asked the sky to show me how

to release the tears I won't allow

this is what you need to know

as above, so below

just simply be

just simply be

rest in the arms of uncertainty

be like the rain it pours itself free

for it's learned from the clouds to just simply be

when life gets tough and I wanna flee

I remember the moments that set me free

I am the crow on the tip of the tree

and every wet drop in the puddle is me

I am the wind howling free

and I am the nest sitting patiently

I am the ray in my sunshine tea

reminding me to just simply be

that's all you need to feel relief

just simply be

just simply be

-heather may