Global Heart2Heart: Recent Episodes
Mary Alice
Robertson Work has returned to Global Heart to Heart to share with us from his first of five books, A Compassionate Civilization ...the Urgency of Sustainable Development and Mindful Activism ...Reflections and RecommendationsIn this session, we explore the different landscapes of individual and collective mindsets and behaviors and the interconnectedness of it all.What does it look like in our day-to-day lives now as we consciously create our future? I know You will enjoy and indeed benefit from hearing Rob’swisdom and enthusiasm for what is possible when imagining the creation of a compassionate civilization in the here and now.Rob is a passionate man whose profound love for humanity and the planet informed his many writings.Writings that guide us to social, spiritual and self transformation.He exemplifies the compassionate planetary human he urges us to become. Please join us as we consider the many questions before us during this rapidly changing and pivotal time in the evolution of humanity...
As promised Robertson Work has returned to Global Heart 2 Heart to share
his reflections and visions from his book, A Compassionate Civilization.
Rob discusses the newly formed Sunrise Group, Sacred Economics,
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and more. There is
something in this for everyone.
I know You will enjoy and indeed benefit from hearing Rob’s
wisdom and enthusiasm for what is possible when imagining
the creation of a compassionate civilization in the here and now.
I invite you to listen to a compelling discourse
by Robertson Work as he shares from his book
A Compassionate Civilization his reflections
and recommendations about the urgency of
sustainable development and mindful activism.
Rob and his writings inspire and guide us to self,
social and spiritual transformation.
You will hear the visions of this wise elder and extraordinary man
whose great passion for humanity and the planet has moved him
to lead a life dedicated to service.
Robertson Work is one of the kindest and most compassionate people
I have ever met.
Mary Alice interviews Roberton Work in her Asheville North Carolina office on an early Fall morning in October 2023.
Mary Alice interview Shawne Mitchell about her new book, Transcendental Leadership. where she identifies the top traits of transcendent leaders and the powerful practices, such as meditation, prayer, yoga, and nature, with which these remarkable individuals use to access expansive awareness and universal wisdom. Her new book, Transcendental Leadership, is a unique treatise on leadership, one focused on how leaders can access states of transcendence that inherently cultivate their being, allowing it to inform their internal disposition and worldview. By aligning who they already are and what they do now with the Source of universal wisdom and present awareness, they are serving the whole.
Borrowing from the library worlds and bundles, hearts and triumphs, characters for company, facts that pull
try this, try that.
But today,
reading a poem about home,
a polished maple leaf,
extending its stem like an arm,
falls from the pages
where it had been placed to dry
by another poetry fan.
A forgotten leaf left or purposely
so a guest could receive the unexpected.
I delight in the dilemma of
let it hitchhike back in the book
or is it my gift to sit in my kitchen
on the large maroon plate
where it will remind
how poems arrive.
5/24/19 Jill Rothman
Dandelion likes hats. Easter Sunday,
the only day she refuses to wear one.
Hats speak for her
like ventriloquists,
make statements
at demonstrations,
shout on foggy days. Dandelion is easily noticed in fields and tourist photos, shows up in flash mobs, would be remembered
at any crime scene.
At 79,
a purple fedora will do. For now,
a toque, a cloche,
a beret, a turban. Dandelion likes hats. That’s all there is to say about that.
Basil wears vests.
an extra layer
over tailored shirts
and even long sleeved tees, hiding his heart.
He owns and often dons, many of his favorites,
suit vests and tweeds, gilets on sporty days. Cold and hard require, the sheepskin and suede. Basil wears vests
and they wear him.
In 2027,
just before Dandelion’s 80th
and just after Basil’s 78th,
they will meet.
They will be seen often sipping tea. Basil will begin to forget
the top two buttons.
Dandelion will occasionally
and then more often,
display her beauty
at the teashops and at home,
sans chapeau,
without a hat.
4/18/21 Jill Rothman
I am wearing a Cloak
invisible to some,
seen by others.
It is covered in
lizards and lionesses,
scallions, fennel and myrrh.
Rare jewels are held in place
by articulate embroidery.
Exotic flowers thrive and bloom
on the seams, it seems.
In the Moonlight,
Ravens, on my shoulders, advise Me.
Tinsel, woven in my hair, travels to my waist
as did the tresses of my twenties.
In the Sun,
I sparkle
like the Ring of Fire at Full Eclipse.
This Cloak is significant garb,
finer than the illusions of fashion on Paris runways,
simpler than an apple a day.
Just like this Garment,
My words and Spirit
are gobble-dee-gook to some,
accessible to others.
This Wrap was made for Me.
As a “mature” Woman,
what matters most, is that,
I see MySelf
ensembled and assembled in this way.
To Me,
My Cloak
is warm, mighty and miraculous,
made thick by the experiences of challenge,
yet willingly vulnerable to falling rain.
1/5/18 Jill Rothman
We 4 Generations
Because my Mother survived a difficult beginning and the loss of her Beloved and still lives fully,
Because I
have danced the foxtrot
with death and embrace life,
and take pleasure in most moments,
Because my Daughter
values the past and enlivens the present journeyed and returned
sings like the Mama that she is.
Because my Grand Child
has an exponential mind
and a jeweled essence
and belly laughs at most everything,
We 4 gather weekly,
The Fashionista, The Chronicler, The Chanteuse,The Sorceress. Stacked civilizations.
Each Herstory a world worth noting.
A thick rope, no mere thread,
runs through us,
ties anchor to the past,
connects us to the horizon.
Once... the 4 was
my Grand Mother,
my Mother, my Self, and my Daughter, my Grandmother
who fled the Cossacks
and arrived at Ellis Island
by herself at age 11
and carved out a life for us all.
Now...
The Ancient, The Middle,The Youth,The Babe, we dance and sing,
play and laugh,
eat pizza and drink smoothies,
marvel at the majesty.
We 4 were given this luxury,
this rarest of gifts.
We 4 know a gift
when we see it.
3/4/17 Jill Rothman
She walks through the doorways
that feel like barriers
to those -
who are not finetuned in the art
of seeing the multi-dimensional quality
of life teeming with offerings of assistance
and filled -
with the helpful assurance of alignment
that reinforces the connected bonds between living things -
allowing access to the sacred source
of all things -
adding to the overall strength and fortitude of the Forest Spirit’s ability to steadfastly protect the birds and other small essential beings
of the forest -
with a little help from her friends.
Denise Kester drawingonthedream.com
Crow has been gathering and storing magic that the people have thrown away, not knowing or recognizing what they were doing. Crow has been keeping the magic jar hidden and safe until the time is right to release the magic again.
Fox knows that Crow is keeping the magic. Fox tries to convince Crow that we all need the magic right now.
Fox says:
“We can’t wait any longer. Not all people are ready, but, lots of them are, and if you release the magic back into the world they will see it and be encouraged.”
“They will see the truth of it.”
“They will see the beauty of it.
“Maybe.” says Crow
“It’s worth a try.” says Fox
“Maybe.” Says Crow
Denise Kester drawingonthedream.com
The fire burned hot
Everything gone
Nothing left
Nothing to hold on to
She had to let go
A bitter longing release
Yet
Out of the devastation
comes the alchemical
chain of events
that allows the
unexpected to take root
and rise, when it could not
rise before
Denise Kester drawingonthedream.com
I am the sister of the moon and
kin to the silent owl in the night
that seeks the sleeping bear.
Quiet and reverent in the exquisite wonder of life,
with its cycles of death and birth.
Traveling through time, again and again,
With splendor and grace,
stumbling, again and again
I am here, recycled and transmuted for the glory
of the earth and the earthbound things,
that the Universal God Mind chooses to experience.
Ah, the beauty and depth of the dance that never ends.
So it is. And so, may it always be.
Denise Kester drawingonthedream.com
Ganesh's Daughter
One of Sri Ganesh's attributes as a god is his ability to remove obstacles from his devotee's path. Ganesh's daughter likes to put the obstacles back where they were. She thinks that in the long run it saves time.
Story
One day Ganesh's daughter is having a talk with her friend Raven Crow. She wonders aloud "what if those obstacles hold unforeseen treasures? What if the obstacles are not obstacles after all; maybe, they are really opportunities or perhaps a portal to higher consciousness? Maybe the obstacles are not as solid or substantial as people think they are. They need to figure this out for themselves. Because, if they don't figure it out, the obstacle always comes back. It may look different but it is the same obstacle."
Raven Crow says, "Yes, perception is a tricky thing. What you are seeing may not be what you are looking at. In fact, I can see in two directions at once, which makes it possible to see in between things, where nothing, is, as it appears to be. Moving in between things is a great way to get around obstacles.”
"Exactly Right!" exclaims Ganesh's daughter. "What seems impenetrable is really an illusion. See this green wall of chaos blocking my way? I can step in it and through it, like this." She pulls Raven Crow along with her. After a few minutes Raven Crow is able to catch his breath and says, "Well, that was a bit of a squeeze,.. but,.. I feel pretty good, now." Ganesh's daughter says "Yeah, but, wasn’t it worth it? Think of all the time we just saved by going through, rather than around.”
Medicine Woman Protecting The Wild Heart
Protect the wild and precious heart
Hold the duality of life and death tenderly
In open hands
It is the wild unfolding presence of what is
Be ready to lift and let her fly
She listens intently to the cycles of the natural world.
She holds the lotus of creation and leans into the tree of life.
She sees with soul eyes and hears the pulse of life in the in-between places.
Here is where the quiet hum of life is always present.
For her, the hum is teeming with the amplified sound of life in all its forms.
She is fully engaged with the verdant communion and reunion with all life.
She is always present.
Denise Kester drawingonthedream.com
“Do you trust me”? She asks Yes and yes again, What ever comes, I trust you. Out of the great wide open of not knowing and uncertainty the Thunderbird appears opening her heart allowing her prayers to fall upon my open mind into my hands, creating.
Her prayers merge with my prayers and they land where the cranes of peace rest in the meadow of my heart near the lake of still waters where the quiet imaginings create ripples of light that catch my attention.
A soft lapping as the ripples reach the shore, murmuring, Everything’s going to be okay. Everything’s going to be okay. Everything’s going to be okay.
Bear came into Mind while the universe was arranging and rearranging its self.
A spark of inspiration, a fleeting thought from the great spirit of time out of mind.
The Great Dreaming has begun.
While the universe is in motion, in the dance of becoming, dancing to the music of the spheres, bouncing and bounding among and off of themselves, cause and effect in the chaos, bursting with the energy of stars exploding, flash and boom.
In this cacophony,
...there is a stillness......
Troubles all around us
We find a quiet place
We hold to each other
Our hearts in sanctuary
Our eyes watch the unfurling
Together
My gifts,
need to be tamed,
need to be trained.
Center myself,
create a space,
follow the plan.
Sight, sound, touch;
All that is, is mine,
the purpose great,
the knowing complete.
How to implement,
that which is mine,
to change that which is.
Change the world.
Change the individual.
Keep my contract.
Open my mind.
Know the truth.
Follow the path.
Find the others,
keeping them close.
The time is coming.
The test is now.
I have the strength.
I have the connection.
“Knowing” the truth,
in my heart, my mind, and soul;
That is what I need – now.
What is it that I cling to?
That I have not released?
Just the wanting of my father’s love?
A father’s understanding?
He could not love,
He tried,
He pushed, he pulled,
What he wanted, he could not give.
His feelings confused,
Sex and love,
Mother and child,
Transferred to father and child.
Rejection of all he had,
All I wanted was his love,
All I wanted was his arms around me,
Telling me everything was ok.
Telling me that he was there,
Showing me the strength in love,
Showing me a father’s love.
Teaching me how to love a man.
Teaching me trust.
This was not meant to be.
His mind in torment,
His world in distress,
His thoughts reversed,
What I learned was not love,
It was to give myself away,
To try and try, to gain his love,
By doing what ever he wanted,
Thinking that this would work
He would love me,
He would be a father,
Surely, if I only tried and tried.
His hatred, his pain, his sadness,
His fear, his torment, his loneliness,
Became mine, I could take it,
I could heal it, I could change it.
Then he would be my father.
He would love me,
He would help,
He would show me, he would teach me.
Not to be, his self-hatred, manifesting.
Transferring to all weaker than he,
Creating fear, panic, blood, and pain
Many years of therapy
Have changed the way I feel
The way I see what was
Thinking all was healed,
I opened myself to love.
And there it was, so beautiful.
So intense, So as I thought it would be.
Given, then taken fast away,
Creating a pattern of the past,
Triggering that which was:
a loss of my father’s love.
My feelings still strong,
never ending it seems,
was/is this, my love,
is it only my father’s rejection transferred?
How incredible it seems to me,
that I could feel this way,
only through transference,
of my father onto my love.
Time will tell, if this revelation,
Is the answer to my prayers,
The answer to my confusion,
The answer to my freedom.
The answer to my father healing.
Allowing true love to enter my life,
my equal, my friend, my lover,
without the shadow of my father.
Lylad,
J holley 11-03-07
Are we here to do as we please
To do harm as we see fit
To do good as we see fit
What are the laws
Are there any?
It seems that people
can do
whatever
whenever
they want to do.
When given the chance
to correct a wrong
and we do not
Is it really 100 fold?
Is it true that to do a good deed
may cause more harm than it helps
Is there a Universal timing?
Is not the time when it arrives?
Is not the time in the moment?
A person falls in the street –
you have an appointment
an agreement that you will miss if you help
Which is more important
Some say your agreement
I am not sure
I feel that
you must make the best
of what your heart tells you
Both equally important
A man does not keep his word,
his promise to do his best for you
You pay him, you honor your word
He did not do his best, quite the opposite
What then
Do you spend part of your valuable life
teaching him a lesson
For your ego, for what is right?
Or do you allow the Universal Law
to do what it is designed to do
You may ask,
Is your action the design
Is it not
Is there a design
Again what to do
What to believe
Did the Druids really take no action
to stop a “wrong”,
Allowing the Universe to rule
Or did they know the design
The path of your Heart may be all there is
All that is known
My being had been challenged
Filled with hatred
Filled with revenge
For wrongs of a promise
My feelings of
helplessness
hopelessness
spurring it on
It took years to let go enough
To let God
The Universe
step in
What happens to that man
is now out of my hands
So easy to go back
So easy to violate the knowing
I must remain in Truth
I wish him love
For love is what he missed
Love is what he was denied
Just, as, was I
I ask for healing
I ask for My God to bless us both
I ask My God to help us release
the times of pain of our young lives
so we both may live
j holley 12-24-19
What kind of world are we living in
When the color of the skin
When the choice of worshiping is different
And because of this people live in substandard buildings
And because o f this there are fires and death
And because of this people are allowed to die
Response times are longer
Building inspections are lax
People ask for help
And help does not come ….
Until it is too late
My heart is aching for the children
the mothers the grandfathers
the grandmothers
All who died in a useless, preventable fire
People not the norm
People who came to make a better life
And found the same as where they came from
People from countries
Who respect community
Who respect their traditions
What happened to our traditions
What happened to our country
When did the hate take over
I am so sad and cry cry, cry
I feel their pain, their fear, their death
their longing, their confusion
I cry to you to change your fear of others
I cry to you to look at them as you look at yourself
I cry to you to teach your children
that all people are the same
All are children of the Universe
All are children of God
Does not the bible teach us this
Does not the Koran
Does not the Torah
When did man interpret this
the way he does today?
The tree covered itself
With a spring cloak
Of chartreuse flowers
With a touch of red
He always said
For a highlight
Drama quite complete.
Dropping garlands
Into the stream.
The condemned bridge
Spans Bear Creek
What car or stick
Or straw will break
Its back?
I am in denial
While crossing
Whistling happy
Carefree
As if it made me lighter
Less of a burden.
I looked back.
Did it always sway that much?
Or moan?
No. Only the wind
Telling jokes to the trees
Uplifting their branches
Into a smile.
The horses come closer,
Quicker to the fence
In spring
And argue at who
Would get the apple first.
Saddled up
They, too, hesitated
At the bridge.
© Elin Babcock. All rights reserved.
Mary Alice interviews traveller and poet Elin Babcock and dicusses her adventures while walking the El Camino.
Photo by Bostan Florin Catalin on Unsplash
Rust: Delicate Unwanted Beauty
You harvested iron from the earth
Formed it in your image
Polished it. Cleaned it. Oiled it.
Plowed with it. Drove it. Discarded it.
On old ringed cans void of paper labels
Between nuts and bolts
I form crevice brown and tan lines.
On the locks, chained gates
And silent, still, emptiness
Of abandoned factories and mills
I work to return iron to the earth.
Dropped on fields and shores
Barrels, chambers, bullets
On bayonets, ramrods, triggers
And helmets that failed to protect
I work among the battlefields.
In ships at sea and dry docked
I bubble on deck railings and hulls
On tall masts and port hole window rims
I seep under layers of gray paint.
I am red, brown, yellow ochre
Flaky, mottled, pitted
I reclaim what you left behind
Bring it home
From fields, junk yards and deserts
Iron to rust to dust.
Delicate unwanted beauty.
© Elin Babcock. All rights reserved.
Jasmin Holley: Faith
As everything tumbles about me
As everything falls apart
I sit and watch and wait
Not knowing, wondering
When will it stop
Where will it end
What is the lesson
Can’t I learn another way?
For the first time
I learned what stress is
My body racked with pain
My mind cluttered
Things seeming so unreal
Thinking I can take no more
Flooding, fires, people’s anger
theft, insects, deceptions
Not knowing where to step,
what to say, what to do.
What happens next?
Inside of me there is
a part, a place, that is calm
that says, “it’s not your fault”
You have no control
Just do what you can
Have Faith it will change
and all will be well
Time moves on
and with it peace
with it understanding
and an ending
Wait and have Faith
All is for the best
Each has its’ season.
Turmoil is but transformation
There is much to learn
Much to change
The other part of me
Angry, solitary, questioning,
“What the hell is going on?
Thinking it will never change
This craziness, this …..
My thoughts run wild
Creating more of the same
Again I hear
“It’s not your fault”
At two, at three, at four
The energy was the same
I was but a small child
The chaos, the anger, the deception
Placed upon my shoulder
Placed in my body, my mind
Take the responsibility
I did, I still do
But no more!
No more, for that
I do not control
Yes, this is the lesson, the learning.
Letting go of the teaching
of so long ago.
My father’s, my mother’s
My ancestor’s, it was theirs
Not mine, but I took it on
To keep them safe
They asked me to
They told me to
I knew no better
But now I do
I ask now
transform your fears
transform your terror
transform the teachings
They are not mine
They are not real
It is time to be
It is time to heal
I no longer need
I can act divine
with you
It is healing - a way of loving
carrying, comforting
with you.
Forgiveness is easy
with you.
I know how sad
you feel
when you offend,
inconvenience,
hurt, forget.
Do not dwell on it
or replay, repeat
or rewind.
I am here for you.
All is forgiven.
Go on.
When it was my turn
you lifted me
from the valley
of un-forgiveness
by your kindness.
© Elin Babcock. All rights reserved.
Elin Babcock On My Camino 2020