The Return

We start out so innocent

and then we get hurt. It

doesn’t matter how.

What makes things worse

is that we try to get out

of here, to run, to even

disappear.

Of course, none of that

works. Any more than

a bird can escape the sky.

We might even spend

a decade or two hiding

in a cloud.

But the light will find us

and disperse the cloud

around our head,

around our heart.

When this happens,

we think it is another

pain come to undo us.

But it is the freefall

that will send us back

to earth where the

thousand blessings

wait.

A Question to Walk With: Describe a cloud you have been under and what that felt like. Then, describe the sudden appearance of light, and where it came from, and how it dispersed your cloud.

This excerpt is from my book of poems, The Half-Life of Angels.

NOV 30: California Institute of Integral Studies, FREE Live Podcast and Conversation between Mark and faculty member Cindy Shearer about Mark’s new book Surviving Storms, 5-6:30PM PST/8-9:30PM EST, (web link) – ONLINE

DEC 11: Saying Yes to Life! From brokenness to tenderness: A webinar guided by Mark Nepo, Dec 11, 2022 from 1-3pm | 10-12pm EST. In this online webinar, Mark will explore how a life of meaning and love unfolds over time. (web link) – ONLINE

For more info on Mark’s upcoming events, visit: https://marknepo.com/teaching_schedule.php