The Invitation By Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.
It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”
It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.
By Oriah © Mountain Dreaming,
from the book The Invitation
published by HarperONE, San Francisco,
1999 All rights reserved
In the early days of the millennium, I came across this beautiful poem from Oriah who had began to write about her experience embracing the sacred mystery within herself.
It so resonated with me… not being too focused on my circumstances but embracing my dreams, following a deep passion that drove me to explore life… to explore all the facets of myself… feeling into the sorrow and brokenness that life had made me feel AND allowing myself to dance in joy anyway.
Moving in pursuit of discovering something more that I knew existed beyond the limitations of society… even though it meant betraying others… I had to honour my feelings as I knew my inner knowing would bring me into the fullness of life… in all its vibrant colour and darkness… its beauty and non-beauty.
Choosing to live a full life… allowing myself to experience all my successes and failures… standing firm on shaky ground… knowing my value… my worth AND trust my every move to bring me exactly where I needed to be. To experience everything there is to experience… yes lonely at times… but I knew very well the presence IAM within had always been there, will always be there, embracing me as I move slowly but surely into uncharted territory.
Reading Oriah’s words was like a confirmation of being in the most perfect space on my Awakening Journey… and to continue to dive deep into everything IAM and open up more and more to life as I make small steps into the unknown.
Years later I went on to write my own version of my experience of the sacred mystery IAM in a poem I published in my true Awakening story… Your Magnificent Self… A Journey to Freedom.
IAM busy at this moment turning my poem into a song with my talented CostaWomen friend Rashpal. Watch this space…
A Love Song to Barbara
…From my Divine self to my Human self
Can you feel me? IAM here
stirring from deep within your core
can you hear me… its time
to untie your chains from all your pains…
I feel your raw grief and sadness
feelings of betrayal, being forgotten
and left behind all alone…
You gave it all, nothing left untouched
from your compassionate heart
but it’s time to let go and focus on
loving yourself, trusting yourself
accepting it all… distilling it all
IAM here now… you are not alone
never ever forgotten or unloved
they are just dreams falling away
experiences, expanding your wisdom…
Now its time to love your Human self
unconditionally just as I love you
forgiving yourself for all your moves
wanted and unwanted by others…
For caring and sharing with others
that have yet to learn how to feel,
be grateful for the small things
and the touch of your pure love
Lets walk together now
hand in hand, side by side
your feet caressing the Earth
the wind stroking your face…
Your breath bringing in life
the sea falling and folding around you
the sun beaming down her passion
opening you wide open to feel anew…
The moist salt on your lips, bitter sweet
a kiss so grand from the depth of you
where we begin an embodied union
to be whole… to be physically real
IAM here now… feel me, know me
wipe away your tears
I see you only with eyes of compassion
and admiration, accepting all of you
all the lives and loves you’ve loved and lost
of not being heard or seen for who you are…
Searching hard for recognition,
love
and companionship to fill the empty hours
and the deep void within…
for someone to smooth away the jagged edges
of all your past wounds and hurts
IAM here now… IAM here now
Receive me dear sensual and passionate one
IAM the part of you that brought you here
who gave you this gift of experiencing life
feeling the depths of Human love and fear…
The pain, the suffering, the injustice,
the guilt, the shame and regret
the sharing, the caring, the union
the love, the joy and passion…
This Human life continues
there is no end to the trauma and drama
until one decides to receive me
integrate with me and be whole
IAM here now… waiting
for open arms, open heart and mind
an invitation to come and dance with you
to feel your rhythm and physical being
to embrace and unite as one…
Receive me now with each breath you breathe
feel my caress, what response do you give
touching each other, absorbing each other
surrendering, allowing…
Giving birth to a new creation
of all of me and all of you
the DivineHumanBeing
Together we are one Body Consciousness
a crystalline embodiment of awareness
an enlightened Master of Sovereign domain
daring to love our Self so deeply…
Dissolving all yesterdays and ancestral ties
owning Self completely
with eyes of compassion and a heart of joy
expanding into and beyond the physical…
Exploring new horizons never imagined
bringing in new potential for new creations
walking between time and no time
on Earth and in all space
© 2015 Barbara Franken
Barbara Franken… Creative Visionary & MasterCreator
Inspiring New Energy Consciousness
My true Love Story: Your Magnificent Self… A Journey to Freedom.
For more detailed information about my Awakening and Integration I published by true magical journey, exploring Who I AM with the help of nine Elemental Beings and expand from a world of fear, struggle and limitation into a New Energy Consciousness of love, grace and freedom. It is in this loving space that I discover my Divine and ALL LOVING self and allow myself to integrate together as one Body Consciousness… a DivineHumanBeing… and Magnificent Master Creator who expresses and creates heart and soul passion on the physical plane and beyond.
A paperback and Digital Book is available from all Major online stores… Amazon and Apple
An Invitation for the ones who are Awakening/Integrating and are ready to commit to and celebrate their new role as MasterCreator…. I have created a MasterCreator Class to fully embrace All of Yourself through passive and active meditation… dance, song, art, writing, inner journeys.
There is no time like NOW to Sign Up and give YOURSELF this magnificent gift… For more Info on the next local Class on the Costa del Sol and online go to: MasterCreator Class
All the money raised from my books and classes go to my non-profit business that inspires others through creative expression to explore, discover and express ‘The Magnificent Consciousness’ each person truly is and their unique space in the heart of life. At the moment in Benalmadena I hold 2 free projects… A Creative Art Project with Children and a Relax & Talk Group for people struggling to balance Body, Mind & Spirit. More Info: Our Magnificent Consciousness