The Great Cloud River – Meet me there….
Enter the cloud river
where the words
are dripping with honey
and our lips speak
of only love
that has never been harmed.
This is the place between places
the space between spaces
where you can go
to dip your toes in the
cool waters of creation
and believe again
that renewal is possible.
This is where time
is no longer linear
and unstretches itself
from its sleepy curl
and begins to offer
little silver fishes
of timelessness.
Gifts from the midnight muse
are sometimes shiny and wet.
This is where the poets
and the artists and the healers go
to put their heads
in the clouds of
possibility and speak
promises that aren’t
about keeping secrets
but are about exploring
what you see when you
enter through
the door at the back of your heart.
I am looking out now
through the colors
in your heart so I can see
the world with new eyes.
When you call on me
whose name is love
you can always find me
where hope springs eternal
and smiles are as dependable
as morning and laughter
resounds in the branches
of bloom filled trees.
This is the place where
we dip our golden cups
into the streams of creativity
and find ourselves laughing
the gravity from our
bodies until we are only light.
How good it feels,
this buoyancy because of you.
Can you smell the presence
of the angels?
We call this place
the great cloud river but its
real name is beauty.
Meet me there.
Written from the Red Thread Cafe in San Francisco on cool Sunny morning…
Today I want to talk about the connection of friendship and the power of the heart to heal….
Many moons ago (16 years) I was in an art store in Colorado and I saw this amazing woman. I instantly recognized her as one of my own, and as the story goes, began to talk to her and make a connection. Three of my best friends, I picked by hand. She was one of them. A bond was formed, and our then partners and us became the best of friends, sharing many a meal and sacred circle and ritual. As time unraveled we all moved away. While we never truly lost touch of our heart connection, we also did not see each other though we knew the love was always there. And I think in our hearts we knew one day we would see each other again. Last Sunday was the moment when Dakota River flew into San Francisco from New York and flew back into my life. It was midnight when she arrived at Casita Paloma and Christine Arylo and I greeted her with drums and candles and playfulness as we had been enjoying mucho rojo vino.
Seeing Dakota, it was as if no time had passed – don’t you love it when there is a friend like that?
Do you know this place? As if from the first moment you have known eachother forever, and no matter how much time has passed it is as if they were never truly gone? This is how the red thread works with those who truly belong to eachother in the great circle of life.
Dakota was at the first circles I led. She was there at one my first workshops (we handmade menstrual pads!). She was there with my husband and I before my heart was broken to pieces. I was there with her and her love before their rivers parted. I heard her prayers for her life and work. We knew one another’s greatest loves and because of that, the ability to understand the beauty and the grace and the hardship of our lives since we walked the Colorado trails was so bitter sweet and savory. We both felt healed this week through our connection and made a lasting bond of friendship. We decided that place would be called the Cloud River and that we could always find eachother there. There are those you should never let go if you can possibly help it. If the Universe is kind and brings you one back on a river of love, don’t let them pass you by. Reach out for their hand as if it is the most important thing in the world. It might be.
At this moment she is on the plane back to New York. Her work has been working with those in society who are the most harmed, on the front lines she has shared her love with the world. Our common vision to be of service all these years, to serve those who are hurting, helps us to speak a language that not everyone can understand. When your life is dedicated to soothing the fevers of humanity, you are altered and the fabric of the world looks different and it is important to look at it with others who share a similar story and experience. I hope, and have asked her to work with The Cosmic Cowgirls on the rape crisis journal – cross your fingers with me that she says yes. Wouldn’t it be amazing if one of my lifelong dreams was fulfilled with an old friend who knew me when I was just 25 and fired up about changing the world? Back then I studied to be an advocate, and thought I would do the works she chose to do – but the universe had other plans for me, Our Blessed Lady told me I had to teach painting, and that was the front line I would serve – one with paint on the end of it.
I close this red thread letter with an invitation. Is there someone, that it is time you reached out to? Someone you would like to invite into the healing waters of the great cloud river?
Loving you all so very much it hurts, but in the super good way.
Shiloh Sophia
Wow! How beautyfuly written. Thank you for writing it.
Many times people come into our lives, or we into theirs, for particular reasons. The deep connections I have made with my Anam Caras, my soul friends, were often for reasons unknown to me at the time we met. But if they had not been there at that time and place my life would have gone a different way. Never question the gift you receive when a “soul friend” comes your way – you are Blessed.
Thank you for writing this Shiloh. It is a beautiful piece and I love Cloud River! What you have described is the way Brigitta and I felt when we were reunited last weekend. We totally renewed the covenant of our friendship and swore that we would never let so much time pass without being in each others physical presence ever again. And yes, we did fall in love with each other on sight.
Lovely. Indeed.
Those most-cherished relationships seem eternal … and when time passes (as we collectively perceive it), it is not felt in those infinite places of LoVe.
Thank you for sharing. ♡
Yep. You know some sisters the moment you see them.
Lovely poem…great way to start my day in SF…remembering connections not made…but to come in spaces left to become. Also loved hearing about your friend. Never miles and years between connections made with heart.
Much Appreciation
Thank you Fran – looking forward to connecting with youooo when the time is right…