A Poem and Painting

By Jennifer Elam

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Early morning time of calm and reflection amidst…
amidst the raging, storms of polarization, wars, deadly earthquakes, fires, gnats,
across the world and next door, across the world, in my heart, and in my face.

Stand in the fire and not be burned; how is that done?
Radical hope, radical trust, radical faith, radical Love;
what do those callings mean in my daily life of decision making?

Stand in the fire of faith and persecution, AND discern;
set good boundaries, I hear. I thought I did.
Yet, the fires do burn sometimes; where is the salve?

Where is that elusive salve? Salve for my hurt body, my hurt soul,
my hurt all of me? I walk and feel the angels with me, I dance
and there are friends ready to play the music. I dance.

Creativity is the salve, co-creating with the divine,
co-creating with the angels with wings, the angels with hands, feet, voices,
co-creating with…co-creating is the salve…co-create with those who can hear.

Thank you for creating with me. Co-creating in community…
Safety, stable relationships, hearts and bodies working together, those are the salves.
Can we be salves with each other? I hope so.

Then the stormy seas can rest, and I can too, for a moment.
So grateful for a moment of deep calm under the stormy seas.

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Featured photo credits: “Deep Calm Under the Stormy Seas” by Jennifer Elam