Tara Sophia Mohr: Summer

I am just getting to know the beautiful being who is Tara Sophia Mohr - and I already adore her.She is, to me, still viewing her from the edge of the peaceful lake of her world,  a paradox: gentle yet strong; courageously subtle; bright quiet; active stillness.When I asked her to guest post for the Wisdom Series, she sent me a poem. I love that. She also sent me a copy of her magnificent e-book, and I encourage you to download it (the link is at the end of her post.) For me, Tara's is the wisdom of sanctuary - the quiet space we turn toward when we need to turn inward. I am pleased and proud to introduce her to you:- - - - -SummerIt was a summer of loganberriesof lake ripples and sky light,rough grain of the couch beneath my thigh.Summer of pondering leavesand patience before a worm, for its secrets.Summer of praying at altars of berries,and lying across sea rocks, asking of them.Of communion and tears,homecoming to the one I had lost,the humming earth.Fierce waves beat off my sadness.Sand scrubbed the withering from my face.Only sea glint remained,all the pain burned off.That’s one thingthe sun is for, you know:to bake pain.And the wind, to strip it away,and the sand, to buff the final shards into shimmer.After all that,an estranged happiness aroseand a space from which I could see the astonishment of green.I could let it make me weep, and be blessed by it.The thought occurred: perhaps like this,if I could remember this,I could do less harm.I could inhabit humbly.Perhaps I could even offer something--be like a berry, or a vine, to the world.-Tara Sophia MohrA recording of the author, reading her poem:"If you are reading this post via email, click here to listen to the audio."

- - - - -Bio: Tara Sophia Mohr’s writing and teaching bring feminine wisdom the fore. She’s the creator of the global Playing Big leadership program for women and is a regular writer for the Huffington Post. Her hybrid path has taken her from the meditation cushion to Stanford Business School. Visit her website to receive her free poetry collection, The Real Life: Poems for Wise Living.