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the anticipatory pause between inhalation and exhalation caught my breath first,

an unexpected mirroring of the anticipatory stillness between lightning and thunder,

reflected in the title 'Hammer of Thor'

which makes me think of a blacksmith's hammer coming down on the anvil with a thundering crash

and how the sparks of Thor's hammer fly before the crashing thunder...

and how you managed to slip all that so seamlessly into the apparent dichotomy between the lightning of being and the thundering of existence...

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Thanks Veronika for seeing me in that space. That conflict of consciousness. Being in this world yet not of it. Constantly verifying existence yet seeming slipping away. Bless you. I look forward to your next piece as it seamlessly slips into the hermeneutics of these words and this journey. Thanks for reading and the poetry you just wrote here. 🙏❤️

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Being in the world but not of it ~ one of our favourite topics. Just yesterday, Josh and I were sitting in a café talking about this... (again!)

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I was there lol! Bless you.

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I loved this one Jamie—could literally feel the space between the poetry and the prose

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Hey, thank you so much! I really appreciate your support and your re-stack. Poetry is often never easy to share, and to be received. Thank you for being in that space between and meeting me there. Bless you 🙏❤️

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I used to like sitting on my balcony during thunderstorms, against the advice of just about everyone. I was on the second floor; there was a covering above me.I would also count to gauge the distance as the storm came in and then receded into the distance. The time between thunder and lightening was a time of anticipation. A Time of Presence.

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Thanks Perry. That space is a gift and in Ontario we certainly get lots of opportunities! Thanks for being in that space with me 🙏❤️

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Jun 4Liked by Jamie Millard

I will never watch/listen/experience a thunderstorm in the same way again. Thank you for this exquisite line: "I hold my breathe in the pure absence".

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Thanks Muriel. That pure absence is a meditation all of its own. Bless you. Thanks so much for reading and sharing here. Your garden sounds like a symphony of colour. 🙏❤️

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The gap between lightning & thunder carries so many possibilities - I like the way you've tapped into that. The gap that has intrigued me for many years is between falling asleep at night, and waking the next morning - sometimes it seems whole lifetimes have gone by, and yet with the much shorter Lightning --> Thunder gap, it also can bring forth powerful new perspectives.

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Oh Josh, I love that analogy. The oracle of dreams borrows me for lifetimes, and then like Rip van Winkle I arrive right back where I started yet know the place for the very first time. Bless you and thank you so much for reading and supporting my journey 🙏❤️

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The Hammer of Thor, a full tilt poem, and your mind Sir Jamie, fires on all 12!

Love your black and white, a spectacular capture, framing the whole piece, imagination is a superpower. Cheers, G

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"fires on all 12! " ... 12 is much more sacred - here in Europe it's been decimalised and would be 'firing on all 10', which sounds (and is) so flat and uninteresting.

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We’ve got bigger cars in North America lol! Thanks Josh. 🙏❤️

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You silly men, I would love to get behind the wheel of a 12, and scoot up to the Colorado high country, a weekend rental get away, that’s all, maybe in July, giggle giggle!

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Sounds brilliant Geraldine! 🙏❤️

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Thanks Geraldine! You always make me smile. Thanks so much for reading and for reaching out. Bless you 🙏❤️

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I just love the way you write and reflect and stir in my own heart words that count.

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Thanks Clement! Those words break open a poet’s heart! Bless you 🙏❤️

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Wonderfully written. It is not possible to describe the space you are talking about with human means. For me, it is the connection to our source, to Love, that takes us home. 🙏 I love how you describe the threshold. The tug of war between anticipation and horror, like when I am on a swing and swing really high, this moment of weightlessness before the swing drops back towards the earth - this is the moment we forget to breathe. What would happen I wonder if we breathed deeply then? 💕

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Thanks Sadhbh! Great analogy! Its a place of no control. Thanks so much for reading and supporting poetry! 🙏❤️

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Jun 4Liked by Jamie Millard

One of your best poems, Jim! I was right there, in the space between, light and dark, spirit and soul. Wonder-filled ❤️🙏

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Thanks Will! Tim is rubbing off lol! Thank you so much for reading and reaching out!🙏❤️

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Jun 4Liked by Jamie Millard

I remember as a child the magic of discovering how you can count in the absence between lightning and thunder, and yes, that stillness, the awe as it feels even nature trembles waiting for the thunder! Also I love how you describe summer, this time of year is my hair for that very reason. Thank you for the beautiful words and poetry, and may you have a beautiful, green filled day.

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Thanks Jenn! That space between is enchanting. Between spring and summer and lightning and thunder. Thank you so much for supporting me here. Bless you a lush green verdant hug. 🙏❤️

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Jun 4Liked by Jamie Millard

Thank you!!! Yes, the betweens are enchanting; and I am drawn to betweens lately…space between trees, buildings…fences…are the places where my eye keeps wandering. Thanks for the hug That is definitely my favorite kind!

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Jun 6Liked by Jamie Millard

I did slip away and away to that pause.

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This whole journey is a slow act of disappearance. Bless you Mo sending you love and light in what I know has been a difficult few months for you. Just know you’re one of the lights in this world. Keep writing. We need you. 🙏❤️

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Thank you for your kind words, Jamie! I appreciate it.

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Mmmm…loved it Jamie. There is energy in that in between moment. It is electric. Thank you.

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Thanks Terra. Definitely a deeper connection. Bless you 🙏❤️

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"....before happening discovers me again." Oh yes!

Trying to hold lightly, not tightly to those blissful "non happening"moments in between. Breathing them in deeply. Grabbing just a sense before being thrown out again into the state of Do-ing. Makes me a bit sea sick sometimes. Learning to ride gently in the thunderstorm of life.

Thanks Jamie. Always. 🌟

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Thanks Jo! I get seasick to when I try to ride those storms as opposed to letting them ride me. I’m slowly learning not to grip so tightly and go with the flow. Bless you and thank you for being here. 🙏❤️

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It's amazing how we all use words, but some of us attach emotions to them by arranging words in such a way that they create a vivid imaginary landscape that makes you hold your breath while reading. Thank you for the poetic journey!

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Katerina, thank you for your kind words. I appreciate you reading and reaching out here. Thanks for seeing me. 🙏❤️

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"I believe poetry is meant to be read aloud as an encounter with the heartfulness of presence. May you slip away in the unfolding flow of your own authenticity." -

Love your writing. This is wonderful Jamie ✨

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Thanks Deb! As you know poetry is definitely a portal to the inside. Thanks so much for reading and reaching out.🙏❤️

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