WORDS:Tryin' to reach out and touch somebody.

I can never forget reading from "Essential Rumi", by Coleman Barks and John Moynaham one of his poems where he says "Now that you have read my poem, Go Home! Leave my words where you found them. They live at a different address than yours!"

SO MUCH POWER IN WORDS IF WE SPEND TIME WITH THEM AS FRIENDS!!!! In a wonderful friendship, one finds great comfort and uplift when one listens and admires friend and his or her words. SO MUCH POWER IS DIFFUSED, NEUTRALIZED, EVEN AMONG FRIENDS when the relationship between word/listener/orator becomes strained.

Native Americans have always used talking sticks when sitting around The Wisdom Fire to help the "listening" situation. Some place the talking stick in the center of the circle. One, when inspired by spirit, gets up from comfortable sitting position, goes to center, picks up stick, talks, sets stick down and returns to circle....next person does the same....
Other tribes begin with Chief talking, finishes, passes stick to person on the left, and so on. You pass the stick to the next person if you have nothing to say....and so on....

What I like about this method is that one really learns HOW TO LISTEN. Sometimes, when stick comes to you, you have already forgotten what you wanted to say in the first place.....

MOST IMPORTANT: THIS WISDOM CIRCLE IS NEVER-ENDING, THE FLAME IS ALWAYS BURNING, THE SEATS AROUND THE FIRE ARE ALWAYS FILLED. THIS CIRCLE IS THE ANCESTORS HOME, IS WHERE SUPREME MYSTERY ALWAYS ADMINISTERS AND GIVES THE GO AHEAD, SPEAK YOUR PEACE COMMAND. AHO!

Wild Dove my Grandmother had a taking stick. We could not talk until it was passed to us - no exceptions! I loved it.

Quote :

"Now that you have read my poem, Go Home! Leave my words where you found them. They live at a different address than yours!"

The above just cracked me up. How true!