Jack rabbit reached his peak At the grand old age of three Leaping past the other young bucks Ascending the summit of hierarchy Yet these heights weren’t high enough for young Jack A propitious visionary Jack had a knack for selling dreams To the rest of the colony He imagined a life for his fluffle … Continue reading The Rabbit Trap
Personal Growth
Living the Inside on the Outside: hooray for small steps
The idea of living in alignment with the inner self is something that’s embodied in many of my rhymes and poems. I think that’s because it’s something I find hard to do. That’s not to say that I’m living a false life, rather there’s some part of me deep down inside (my highest self, for … Continue reading Living the Inside on the Outside: hooray for small steps
Spirituality without the spirit
I was chatting to a young person in their twenties recently who had been bereaved unexpectedly, and more than once, in a short space of time. On top of this sadness, they had experienced some difficult relationships which had meant the end of a close friendship. In chatting to this person it was clear they … Continue reading Spirituality without the spirit
The Mouse and the Puppy
The mouse sat out in the open Shivering without a care Numb to the world around her Lost in a well of despair Indifferent to the dangers Oblivious to the delights Spark tamped down To a muted brown Darkness infusing the light For days and nights she stayed there Waiting only for the end to … Continue reading The Mouse and the Puppy
The Art of Compassionate Arguing
The Art of Compassionate Arguing I recently returned from a week’s holiday with eighteen relatives and friends to celebrate a family birthday. The trip was filled with love and laughter, but there were also some lively discussions (arguments, if you want to get technical) between me and another family member who we’ll call ‘Stevie.’ I … Continue reading The Art of Compassionate Arguing
Ten days of silence: My Vipassana Meditation Experience
The first question most people ask is, why? Why would you want to spend ten days meditating in complete silence: no phone, no books, no distractions? I still don’t have a good answer, I only know that I did, and that’s a good enough reason for me these days. I had a few last-minute nerves … Continue reading Ten days of silence: My Vipassana Meditation Experience
The Circular Route
We’re never shown quite what it takes to grow long lasting skills The wrong turns and dead ends the path that’s fraught with ills We’re seldom shown to get to good We often must be bad To see the efforts ended in failure as the best teacher we ever had We’re never told that it’s … Continue reading The Circular Route
The Truth of Now
If we’re well and truly honestThere’s a truth we don’t allowCreating history and futuresOnly happens in the nowWe can lament what has been lostOr learn and move alongSpend a lifetime stuck in what could beOr be right where we belongThe only starting point to anywhereIs in the steps we takeSlowly inching onwardsfull in life as … Continue reading The Truth of Now
The Goshawk Part 2
The goshawk bristled in angerAs she set down on a branch to restHow dare they cast her outAll she’d done was try her bestTo keep them safe from harmAnd the dangers of this earthShame on them if they could not seeAll that she was worthYet a sadness settled over herWeighing heavy on her heartShe’d never … Continue reading The Goshawk Part 2
Parenting in Hindsight: the toddler years
Surrounded by toddlers and pre-schoolers at my nephew’s fourth birthday party, I looked on with empathetic amusement as the parents of these bundles of energy did their best to mitigate destruction and injury, and realised I have a lot to reflect on about parenting in the toddler years. I miss the sweetness of my kids, … Continue reading Parenting in Hindsight: the toddler years
Rae Cod’s Writing 