The Deer Path
Our Soul Finds Us
Listen Here- Podcast Style
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul
John Muir
Look closely!
As I grow older my sense of purpose calls to me stronger. A new voice arrives in a space deep inside of myself that allows me to see something with an utterly new lens in an annunciation of transcendence. Everything only exists no where else but right here. In an act of presence, I enter into the forest. It is to me, an act of prayer. No headphones. No reading. Into the now of here. A thread in the tapestry of everything.
Nature is always a spiritual guide once we get off the beaten track. Wandering in the woods is a metaphorical journey unto itself. Not all who wander are lost. What cannot be seen with the eyes can only be seen with the heart. The so called path before us is often felt before it is seen. In the forest of presence everything becomes clear. For Native American shamans, the deer is a guide on the path of life. Possibly representing the hidden mystery of soul. The elusive deer don’t cross our path. We cross theirs. Once we know where to look for our soul, our soul finds us. Every once in a while in that quiet stillness, in the sleeping silence, on that pathless path, the clarity of here is announced by the appearance of deer.
The Deer Path
Sometimes
when the wind is
quiet
and the winter rain
has softened the fallen leaves
still
camouflaging the forest floor
Sound is
sleeping
Trampled underfoot
When the shame of the past
has gone
silent
and the creek of future fear
has receded
In those rare moments
that your mind becomes
clear
When everything
flows into the now of
here
You will feel it
before you see it
If you wander
slow
and let your heart steer
In the web of roots
between the trees
the deer path
will appear
© Jamie Millard
Some trails defy destination,
longing only for soul.Angie Weiland-Crosby
I believe that poetry is meant to be read out loud. Reading, writing and listening to a poem is meditative and the words create an intimate encounter with the heartfulness of presence. Like we enter into the forest, we enter into a poem. Poetry is a wonderful addition to a spiritual practice as it connects us to ourselves, to others, to this world and to our spirit.
Please reach out to me if I can be of any assistance on your journey through the poetic forest into the mysterious now of here.
Please enjoy the audio shared at the top of this article.
Lots of Love,
Jamie
Absolutely beautiful! Deer is close to my soul. In the Native American Medicine Wheel, I am a member of the 'Deer Clan'. You write "The so called path before us is often felt before it is seen..."
Funny that just before I woke up this morning I was in a dreamspace, there was an unexpected visitor, and in a flash I realised it was you. Did we meet on the deer path?
I love this stanza:
"In the web of roots
between the trees
the deer path
will appear."