Hope & Healing Through Photography and Poetic Expression

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Empowered

 “He who controls others may be powerful,
but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.”

~ Lao Tzu

This beautiful and proud bald eagle (known to some as Sam) resides at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge. He was taken in by the refuge in 1988 after undergoing a wing amputation due to gunshot injury. He has been a cherished member of the animal sanctuary ever since. Although Sam cannot soar the skies the way nature might have intended, it is clear he has found empowerment and inner-peace at the refuge, surrounded by other members of the wildlife community, and his human admirers. Go Sam!! 😉

Much Love ~ Robyn Lee

Interlude

Together they fly
caressing the sky

Embraced in a dance
enthralled with romance 

When the wind says: DESCEND
the flirtation must end

 They tumble and fall
but remember it all

~ Robyn Lee


Future

“The future is born of those thoughts and feelings
we are allowing into our experience
right now.”

~ Robyn Lee

Could not help but notice this storefront down the block from the center where I had my spine procedure Thursday. I took pause for a moment, wondering if anyone truly had the ability to see into the future, and would it even serve me  to have such information?  Quickly I took a photo and moved on. While prepped and waiting, I thought more about the concept of future, and conjured up the quotation (above).  A certain calm came over me at this point.

Sending everyone gratitude and appreciation for all the wonderful wishes, and wise comments shared on my blog post Wednesday. They really gave me a much-needed lift. I so appreciate the exceptional sense community we share here!

As an update, I  did well with the procedure (barring a few moans and screams) and will know how effective it was over the next several days. If it works, my family will need to hide my roller blades :).

In the meantime…still moving in the direction of hope and faith, and paying attention to those thoughts and feelings I’m inviting into my experience right now!

Much Love ~ RL

Doubt

“Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith.”

~ Paul Tillich

Heading back to New York City for a few days to have the mri and spinal procedure that was scheduled two weeks ago (see: Release « THROUGH THE HEALING LENS).

Anticipation and anxiety have been tormenting my soul these last few weeks. I think two weeks was too long to expect me to keep “releasing” the questions that linger and haunt. I haven’t had my spine mucked with in a few years… and over the past 19, have been poked, prodded, carved and dissected, without resolve more times than I care to remember. Why are we back to the spine again when so many experts assured me just 16 months ago the issue was my hip that needed carving? And why did that hip surgery result in worse pain and dysfunction?  Seems like lots of guess-work taking place, and this all makes my head churn.

So… here I am, trying to find my optimism, but I confess…facing some pretty gloomy shadows of doubt. I am working to let go of the questions and have faith, but am having a tough time given the pain levels I’ve been living.

Nevertheless, there are some very important life-occasions coming up around here (namely my daughter’s college graduation in Boston entailing  travel and exciting ceremonies, celebrations~so proud of that kid!! I really want to be there for her, and be a part of it all (for me), and thus, agreed to the upcoming medical experiments to try to get the pain levels reduced enough to allow me to join in on the good stuff ahead. Unfortunately, I have no rescue medication to turn to, as my body completely rejects narcotic pain drugs which produce severe spasm of my bile ducts (more painful than a long drawn out heart attack). Even more the reason I’m really needing this spine procedure to buy me some pain relief.

And so, I’m attempting to confront the doubts and fears, and conjure up some serious faith for my journey. Was happy to stumble on Tillich’s quote above, as it made me aware that doubt and faith may indeed be interconnected.

Hoping that this procedure will lead to a revelation of sorts, and at least get me into a mode of higher functioning so I can participate in the festivities, and perhaps even gain insight as to what structures are causing the worst of my pain. If it works well, I’m hoping I can be more aggressive with my rehab program and, of course, take on more adventurous blog photo shoots!

Thanks for everyone’s good energy blown my way on this one. I can feel it, and truly do appreciate.

Farewell for now…. sorry will be at least a few days before I can post again… but in the meantime
wishing all of you good things while I’m away!

Much Love ~ Robyn Lee

Golden Threads

It is my pleasure to share this enchanting poem (below) which was
inspired by my post last week, Collective Dreams « THROUGH THE HEALING LENS ,
and written by David Whitman of Thoughts from the Outdoors.

Warm Thanks to David for honoring
my photo with his spectacular words!
~ Robyn Lee

And she spun the golden threads, dripping from the sun like shimmering jewels…

Silkenly falling refracting and twirling the lights like two rainbows mixed in a loving embrace…

Spiraling down, down down til the ground and trees dripped in emerald and vibrant sapphires…

This is the power of the solar god and a gentle god is she…

Nodding agreeably…

The sun went on glowing…

sinking and falling only to rise and shine again…

Pre-Season

The empty homes along the shore,
sit and watch their own front doors.

They know it’s spring and soon to come,
are summer dwellers, waves and fun.

Their peaceful life upon the sand,
will be transformed into party-land.

With music, grills and games galore,
their quiet life will be no more.

You may also enjoy this related post (link below)
which was shot this past winter

Equilibrium

We can be sure that the greatest hope
for maintaining equilibrium in the face of any
situation rests within ourselves. 

~Francis J. Braceland

On a quest to find my own equilibrium one day, I took a short walk in my neighborhood, and met up with the Stone Stranger featured in this post. I make the same loop around the corner frequently, yet I have never seen Stone Stranger before. He was standing there quietly, mostly out of view, against the side of a vacant home. Struck by his asymmetrical posture (much like my own) I stopped to look more closely. 

I observed he had a heart-shaped face and uneven jaw line,  just like mine. I also noticed that he was clearly unweighting one of his hips (hmm?). There was a slight twist to his torso, and his pelvis was rotated forward on one side only, as he balanced a sizable load on his skull.

I could not help but wonder if he had pain… invisible pain, unobvious to those admiring his beauty and grace.

Intrigued by this encounter, I wondered why this Stone Stranger beckoned me to his remote hiding place this warm April afternoon. If he could speak to me, I thought, what might he say ?

Farewell Stone Stranger…until we meet again.

~Robyn Lee

Awards Awards Awards…

I feel quite honored and flattered to have been nominated for so many wonderful awards (a few of them numerous times).  As I’ve shared my heart and my work here, I’ve encountered such talented, kind and brilliant people among my fellow-bloggers. It feels like virtual family to me, and I am very grateful for the warm supportive welcome I’ve received.

So first, as the awards rules dictate, I will begin by sharing 7 random things about me:

1. In the photo of me dancing above from September, I had fever of 102, and a wicked migraine – but it was a good ‘pain’ day and I had FUN!

2. My 2 loving daughters are my greatest inspiration.

3. I cook an awesome dijon/ginger/honey salmon fillet.

4. I am married to a phenomenal man, who kissed me for the first time when I was just 13!

5. I have always been able to stand on my head, and still can (though don’t test it often).

6. Rumi, my puppy is named after the Persian Mystical Love Poet.

7. When I was little, I  used to write stories and poems and pair them with cut-out images from magazines and/or photos…..they are still in my attic – and I suppose my blog is a continuation of that passion.

Next, I am thrilled to thank, and introduce you to  those who have nominated me for all of these fabulous blogging awards:

1. Thoughts from the Outdoors David writes incredible personal poetry, and pairs his thought-provoking words with images that inspire. Look forward to his poems daily!

2. About « Keeping Pace Lisa has a wonderful blog filled with interesting articles  about contemporary living as well as beautiful poetic reflections.

3. About | Zen Being  Visit Erran’s blog for wonderful words on keeping perspective and learning how to simply “be”.  Excellent writings with wise insights.

4. My First Blog « taniajessicasmith Tania’s blog is rich in content.  She is both an incredible photographer and talented graphic artist.  Wonderful find!

5. About « Not So Creative  A blog that boasts diverse photographic talent along with descriptive writing.

6. About Me « Work the Dream Deb’s blog is a wonderful testament to survival and optimistic living through physical challenge. Great work.

7. About This Site « Living In The Now Jacob’s blog is dedicated to the journey of self-development, spirituality and stress reduction.

8.  Inspiration All Around Sofia’s blog features stunning photography from her adventures around the world.

Finally, the following are my 10 nominations. I pass this HUGE torch (6 awards in all) on to the following bloggers:

1. My Heartsong Jane’s blog features first class photography with a soulful eye and a warm spirit.

2. Mari Sanchez Cayuso | Peace the consciousness, the transitoriness, your existence.  Mari’s blog is filled with dynamic, seductive, poetry and artistic expression. Hang on when you visit her site, as you are in for the ride of your life. There is passion all over it!

3.jmgoyder Julie blogs about her life in an honest and heartfelt style. Her blog features snapshots of her life in stories and photos.  She is a brilliant writer, and a strong soul facing difficult obstacles on a daily basis.  I admire her courage and spirit a great deal.  She also has an awesome sense of wit and grace.

4. About « Recovery Thru My Lens Meryl’s blog features unique expert photography, coupled with inspired poetry, and writings of self-discovery and emotional healing.

5. About Me | Bloom KT’s blog offers beautiful photography and self-discovery centered around the flower garden of life.

6. Soy…, About | cruzdelsur Carlos’s site boasts stunning photography, insights, and poetic wisdom  from a true Argentinian gentleman (translator link provided).

7.  About the Blog « Pieces of Me and Other Sundry Things Scott’s blog showcases awesome photos (both urban and nature) with wonderful writings and personal insights.  Class-Act!

8. About « Going Dutch Malou’s blog is wonderfully diverse, with gorgeous photos and articles ranging from  cultural variations in sex education, to nature and  asian cuisine.

9. About « balancethroughthelens. Susie has a very  beautiful blog showcasing her amazing nature photography.  She shares valuable life lessons and relates them to her photo images.

10. moments clicked is a nature photography blog dedicated to recording moments of life that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Wow..  this was a challenging post project 🙂 Hope I did ok – and apologize if there are overlapping awards for any of the nominees.  Please accept what you like – and feel free to pass on the duplicates to those you deem deserving.  Kudos to everyone.  Such a great blogging community indeed! Remember to check out all the links!

Sending Love and Gratitude to all ~ Robyn Lee

Transform


To harden the earth 
the rocks took charge:
instantly
they grew wings:
the rocks
that soared:
the survivors
flew up
the lightning bolt,
screamed in the night,
a watermark,
a violent sword,
a meteor.

The succulent sky
had not only clouds,
not only space smelling
of oxygen,
but an earthly stone
flashing here and there
changed into a dove,
changed into a bell,
into immensity,
into a piercing wind:
into a phosphorescent arrow,
into salt of the sky.

~Pablo Neruda

 

This riveting narrative by Pablo Neruda is a favorite of mine. Hope you enjoyed it alongside today’s feature image.

Have a great today!

~Robyn Lee