By Lori Lines

In this year to come
What shall mark the defining sum?
What change awaits, to rearrange,
All notions held, our selves to exchange?

In moments of quiet solitude,
When we're alone, our thoughts pursued,
Do we search for truths well-known,
Or question anew, to claim our own?

(By their fruit, the trees we discern,
In every lesson, there's wisdom to learn.)

Do we construct labyrinths, seeking to be lost,
In self-exile, wandering paths that exhaust?
I wonder, as we explore vacant rooms,
Softening eyes and voice, within you it looms,
Drawing deeper, still, in introspection's hold.

Remember, you sought this, the Hour of Unmasking,
Inviting the paradoxical, and surreal tasking.
Now, in quiet stillness, cease the constant striving,
As your spirit seeks understanding, and thriving.

Have you contemplated disparities so long,
That sameness appears foreign, all feels wrong?
Have you battled so hard, so tireless, so tight,
That even your freedom now seems a fight?

I applaud those who find their rightful place,
Yet in creating their home, they may misplace,
The ability to soar, to chart their own flight,
Trapped in another's vision, day and night.

Instead of New Year's Resolutions, mere delusions,
Let's pause and reflect, a welcome interlude.
Before projecting further into the vast unknown,
Consider the past's shadow, and seeds sown.

Inaction plays a role in life's grand scheme,
Balancing action and inaction, it would seem.
It's the eternal dance of life and death's embrace,
The harmony of love and fear, in each space.

You reflect upon the self, but look beyond as well,
To hidden truths, beneath the surface you dwell,
Veiled by a thin layer, concealing the core,
A coating obscuring what's at the core's core.

I gaze deep within a muddied well's abyss,
The tomb of memories, where perceptions miss,
Daily, we construe and misconstrue once more,
In every possible way, we misconstrue, that's for sure.

Behind these walls, the solitary guest,
A prisoner of purgatory, in soul's quest,
Healing the wounds from a lifetime's fall,
In this secluded chamber, we confront them all.

The year departed so quickly, it seems,
Our acquaintance fleeting, a fleeting dream.
Is time swift, or is it I who slow the pace,
Resisting the rush, finding my own space?

Nietzsche's camel, weary from bearing the load,
Speaks to his soul, on life's arduous road:
"Awake, stir! I've played the camel's part,
Carrying the weight of worlds, with a heavy heart.

Now, I must shed what once used to be,
And with the worn-out camel, I shall see,
Part of me must die, and so I'm reborn anew,
Beauty is a bird, breaking from its shell, it's true."

This unfolding vastness knows no end,
Yet, each year's calendar, we apprehend.
With little deviation, it seems to persist,
While everything else transforms, persists, and exists.

In the ordinary, the sublime is concealed,
Revealing its secrets, once hidden, now revealed.
Someday, people shall see and comprehend,
The profound essence that lies beyond the bend.

Inaction plays its part in life's grand design,
Balancing action, inaction, a rhythm so fine.
The equilibrium of all that exists,
Love and fear coexist, as life persists.

As we reflect on self and broader schemes,
In this boundless unfolding, where reality teems,
We pause to perceive, to savor the view,
Of all that was, and all that will be, anew.

And when it comes to a Joyous New Year, of course,
Still, the prior year lingers, unwinding its force.
Is any year truly finished or ever won?
A fresh year, another chapter, another run.

***You are my inspiration. Thank you all, with much love and gratitude.***

Lori Lines


© Lori Lines, 2023

By Lori Lines

This was written during my darkest moments of my Dark Night of the Soul. Never to return. 

​

By Lori Lines

Your voice, tender and inviting,
In matters of love, clichés are known, no denying.
Yet here, a novelty, a fervor,
I can't set aside,
After that wave engulfed me, turning the tide,

After the struggle to emerge, to breathe,
In the calm that followed, I did perceive,
My own reflection, like an island, so clear,
In the boundless water, my solitude drew near.
With the next wave's embrace,
I understood, Regrets.

Though a subsequent wave may have me misunderstood,
For am I concussed or in self-deceit, I've stood?
I find no reason to rue the past's bitter lore,
No room for regrets now, or evermore.

What weighs so heavy, you cannot foresee,
A future to redeem, a heart set free,
Settle it today, release the binding chain,
Freedom to embrace, not from but to gain.

In this moment, regret should find no place,
For gravity draws two souls to embrace,
From distant corners, they converge, and unite,
In the cosmic depths, their stars ignite.

No regrets linger, no burden to bear,
Every cell alive, a thrill in the air,
An anticipation, yet undefined,
The purpose unknown, the path unlined.

Do you sense it too, this stirring inside,
​A journey unfolding, where hearts collide?

© Lori Lines, 2015

Dark Night of the Soul Poem

Dear Readers,

Not long ago, I stumbled upon some poems that emerged during my 8-year period of profound inner turmoil and self-discovery. It's astonishing to me because I can hardly recall crafting these verses. Throughout this intense and spiritually safeguarded phase of my life, while I grappled with suffering and explored my inner shadows, something channeled through me, and the words flowed onto the paper. Uncertain of how to handle these creations, my inner guidance reassured me that it was acceptable to share them. If you decide to offer feedback, I kindly request your gentleness. Thank you deeply.

With all my Love,
Lori

© Lori Lines, 2012

By Lori Lines

Once in a lifetime
something special happens.
It's a miracle 
which cannot be ignored.
It's a miracle that cannot be explained.

For some reason the air 
is filled with a special magic.
Colors are a bright, vibrant hue
which spin dizzily around,
blending into a white light.

The world seems larger
and more beautiful
Hearts sing a melody which
only the soul understands.

The air is filled
with the sound of a thousand trumpets.
Yet, every note of the bird's song
is heard more sweetly than before.
Every dream is fast
becoming a reality.

All is at peace -
the mind with tranquil visions of tomorrow,
the heart with its melodic song,
the soul with its newfound existence.

Yet at the same time, the
world is filled with wild,
vibrating energy.
The blood courses faster.
The mind reels.
The blood is aflame with the touch
of your eyes.
The brush of your hand.

There is a remembering of your essence and a dream of old
that brings me to now.
For I am finally home.
There is but one word to describe this,
it is called love.

That precious gift, which so few find,
and those who do
find it once in a lifetime.
I know this to be true,
for my once in a lifetime
happened the day I met you.

© Lori Lines.  All Rights Reserved. 2013-2014

The Virgo Rising

​By Lori Lines

​You charge into my life so fierce even though the welcome mat took its time to reach your feet
You bore your passion through my heart
I bled as it burned into my core
You pushed your way past my fear and resistance
Until I gave in and opened myself up to you
You filled me up and carved words into me that spoke of hope and togetherness - "a love that is meant to be"
"The real thing"
"That which songs are inspired"

Our bubble
Joyful, all lit up, deeply fulfilled in its irridescence
I gave myself over and you drank every last drop of me
Our love was so passionate, so sweet, so fierce, so fun, so innocent, yet so real
Beyond my own expectations
Touched in ways I've never known
Yet somehow I remember

You never had your appetite grow as I fed your hunger with every fiber of my being
Gone unnoticed
To know what life brings, no matter what the complications, you letting me go was never a thought in my mind
For we were so strong, so real, when we could feel this wild, crazy, unknown energy from within
From the depth of our hearts and in true form 

Your life spiraled the way it was not intended 
Your brokenness and fearful knots in your heart shielded me
Allowing darkness  to penetrate our light 
Slamming the door
Forgetting love heals everything
Throwing away hope
Choosing martyrdom
Stabbing my heart while I hold the punctures - my fingers covered in our blood
And the blood keeps pouring out no matter what I do

My best friend
My lover
My partner in crime
My baby
My light
Is lost
I'm lost

And then I die.
​
Yet something miraculous 
I see a spark within
I have risen and decide to live
Alone yet connected

I see the dawn
And here I am, transformed again
I walk in the light
I begin anew
​With a bigger love emanating from my being
And all I can think to say is, "Thank you."


© Copyright Lori Lines.  All rights reserved.  2012- 2016

By Lori Lines
​
To the Magician

I pray you one day
will understand
How you touched my life
on the journey to who I am

I pray one day
you will know
How truly special you are
that even on the darkest nights
you've been my brightest star

I pray one day
you will fully comprehend
How you made my dreams come true
that opened my heart again
after severe heartbreak
to the wonders that love can do

I pray one day you'll know
you've allowed me to experience
something very rare to find
Another soulmate love that exists
in my body, soul, and mind

I pray one day you will feel
the kind of love I have to give
but I'm sure you'll never realize
you've been my will to live

I pray one day you'll see
how amazing you are 
without you I don't know where I'd be
For having you in my arms
completed and fulfilled every part of me.

© Copyright Lori Lines. All rights reserved.  2013

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