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Beth Patterson

Host, Virtual Tea House

Come, sit by the fire a spell

  
Visit One Single Impression for a plethora of poems about the November 30 prompt: welcoming

Christmas Valley, Oregon 051

                                                                Come, friend. 

Sit by the fire.

 

Let's share some port, a cigar and some rich dark chocolate.

The world has grown cold. 

Let the wood and the flames talk to us about

usefulness and beneficence and connection.

Let the cold stars speak of spaciousness and forgiveness.

 

Let's welcome each other's pain, delight, struggle and deception

'til we meld into some form of love for each other that looks a lot

like joy.

 

Rest your weary heart

in the crucible of

laughter and coyote yips

conjured up by souls

also longing for connection.

 

If we break out the drums, all the better.

If we dance the snow down, all the delight.

 

Welcome, friend.

There's always a place for you at our hearth.

Christmas Valley, Oregon 051

One Single Impression is a community of poets writing and sharing haiku and other poetic forms. Each week a prompt is offered to our muses to see what they cook up! Please visit the site for excellent poems on each prompt. Better yet, come play with us!

Published Wednesday, December 03, 2008 10:37 PM by Beth Patterson

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Comments

 

Anthony North said:

Loved the message in this. Excellent.

December 4, 2008 4:59 AM
 

SandyCarlson said:

What a beautiful invitation!

December 4, 2008 5:31 AM
 

Carole Alexander said:

Your poem was indeed welcoming and I loved 'the crucible of laughter'.

December 4, 2008 12:48 PM
 

zoya gautam said:

.."'til we meld into some form of love for each other that looks a lot

like joy"_

"Let the cold stars speak of spaciousness and forgiveness"_lovely..

_sounds like a love song..many thanks for this..

December 4, 2008 2:12 PM
 

Sandy said:

Now that is a welcome! Just lovely, Beth.

December 4, 2008 5:59 PM
 

Geraldine said:

I loved your very welcoming words Beth (except the cigar...ewwwww!!!!) beautifully crafted. Hugs, G   :)

December 4, 2008 6:03 PM
 

Beth Patterson said:

C'mon Geraldine...

Have you ever smoked a really fine cigar? How would you know, then?!!

Thanks for all the sweet comments--wish we could sit around a fire together and howl at the moon a bit!

December 4, 2008 11:20 PM
 

Deborah Godin said:

That was so delightful to read.  The images and the words, everything about it is so comforting and..welcoming.  Very nice.

December 5, 2008 9:53 AM
 

terianne said:

thank you for the inspiring words!

December 5, 2008 11:39 AM
 

Karen Cox said:

Beth,

Your words are comforting and ring so true of my experience around your/our fire.

Can't wait to dance in the snow together.  Karen Cox

December 5, 2008 12:17 PM
 

Jim said:

Hi Beth, this is really great!  A great idea too. It reminded me of Alan Shore (James Spader) and Denny Crane (William Shatner) sitting on their balcony alcove smoking their cigars and drinking scotch at the end of the day. They have a men's close friendship relationship.

Your link also reminds me of the "burning man" held yearly in Arizona.  However there was no mention obtained via a site search.

..

December 5, 2008 5:39 PM
 

Raven said:

Beautiful. I love the idea of dancing the snow down (but only in small amounts).

December 6, 2008 11:32 AM
 

Tumblewords said:

An exquisitely worded welcome!

December 6, 2008 1:41 PM
 

Geraldine said:

How about a nice snifter of brandy instead...I'm in!   :<)

December 6, 2008 6:45 PM
 

Beth Patterson said:

Ok! All my OSI friends are coming over for a fire and brandy, chocolate and...a cigar (except for Geraldine)...and a fire!  What fun that would be!

And you'd get to meet my regular fire circle friends--wahoo!

Thanks for all the welcome to OSI that has come my way--I feel very blessed by youse guys!

December 6, 2008 9:30 PM

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About Beth Patterson

The Virtual Tea House website became 'word-ripe' when, over a cup of jasmine green, I realized that the web has an expanding part to play in the communal aspects of spiritual growth.

With a master's degree in religion, my career spans 20 years in end of life care and I currently work in the field of child abuse intervention and advocacy.

Here in beautiful Central Oregon, my spiritual homes of the high desert and the mountains are both in proximity. And for good measure, four hours away is Grandmother Ocean and the stunning Oregon Coast.

I'm making decent progress on the goal set by my mother early on: she taught us that the goal of humanity should be to become ever-more eccentric, i.e. more fully human.

Entering the 'forest-dweller' phase of life, I am honored to host the Virtual Tea House for all who wish to explore how our lives are enriched and made new a thousand times each day by the spirituality we embody. Exploring this engagement together is the purpose of the Virtual Tea House.

Welcome! Let's have a cup of virtual tea together and share what brings us joy, what we are being taught by life, how we are leaning into the Big Questions posed to us each day in sometimes 'distressing disguises'.

Follow me on Twitter, if you must
http://twitter.com/MyraB

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