Things you never imagine
come to pass and your life
becomes a crucible in which
the lessons are ground into
a fine powder you can taste
in back of your throat.
In time, the crucible cracks,
then crumbles, and rain soaks
the powder into your heart
and the taste goes away.
By the time you soften, no
one can tell there ever was
a crucible.
And on a quiet day when the
sun pours through the clouds
and the birds seem to hover,
something you didn’t know
was in you breaks ground
with the color of the first
rose.
A Question to Walk With: Describe a crucible that transformed you and what remains from it.
Mark will be offering retreats and a few special journeys in 2024. Below are some of his offerings:
April 26-28: Saying Yes to Life: From Brokenness to Tenderness, reading and weekend retreat, The Sophia Institute, Charleston, SC, or call 843-720-8528
https://thesophiainstitute.org/events/saying-yes-to-life-from-brokenness-to-tenderness/?occurrence=2024-04-26
May 6: Drinking from the River of Light, Talk on the Creative Process, The Gilmore Festival, Kalamazoo Public Library Central Branch, VanDeusen Room | 2 pm
https://www.thegilmore.org/event/mark-nepo/
May 18–24, 2024 The Gift of Deepening and the Radiance in All Things, a weeklong retreat on a river cruise in France hosted by Global Journeys
https://globalj.org/the-gift-od-deepening-overview/
June 28-30: Falling Down and Getting Up: Discovering Your Inner Resilience and Strength, weekend retreat, Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY
http://tinyurl.com/5n79swbd
Aug 16-18: You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: The Net of Friendship, weekend retreat, Mercy By the Sea, 167 Neck Rd, Madison
https://www.mercybythesea.org/events/
Sept 16–21, 2024 You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: The Power of Friendship, a Mastery Week Retreat at the Modern Elder Academy in Santa Fe, Mexico, .
https://www.meawisdom.com/workshop/the-power-of-friendship-with-mark-nepo
Sept 29 1pm PT/4pm ET: Mark Nepo in Conversation with Brooke Warner – You Don’t Have to Do It Alone, ticketed event hosted by Book Passage
https://www.bookpassage.com/event/mark-nepo-brooke-warner-you-dont-have-do-it-alone-online-event
Nov 1-3: Harmony Hill Retreat Center, You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: The Net of Friendship weekend retreat, Union WA, Contact Harmony Hill for info:
https://www.harmonyhill.org/contact-connections/
Dec 8–14, Saying Yes to Life: The One Life We’re Given, a weeklong retreat in Costa Rica, hosted by Global Journeys
https://globalj.org/mark-nepo-costa-rica-overview/
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