Category Archives: Poetry

Spaciousness.
I sit on Elk Ridge,
Watching the sunset over the mountains.
I feel myself expand in the glow of this Big Sky.
Space.

My mind stops.
Taking in this moment,
I breathe deep.
Savoring my lungs full expansion.

My heart opens.
Embracing this blessed space
I feel my self come home.

– Kim Colella

Joel

Joel
April 15, 1950 – Feb. 4,2014

In November, after learning that my brother, Joel, had advanced lung cancer, I wrote this reflection. In early February, I read it at his memorial service. In honor of his birthday, I share here today.

JOEL
As I stop and Breathe,
I feel my grief arise.
Tears surface as I
Hold you in my heart.
The sadness takes my breath away.

I remember my childhood,
You, ten years older,
my protector brother.
I am moved by the memory
Of your tenderness, loyalty and love.

Fifty years of smoking
Has taken root in your lungs,
Blocking your airway,
Stealing your breath.
Death stands waiting to receive
Your tender, loving spirit.

Am I ready to let you go?
I choke on the sob of grief
Arising in my chest,
And allow the winds of sadness to shake me.
Slowly, I relax my breath
Releasing, Blessing, Receiving,
All that is to come.

The New Becoming

The old paradigm is dying
And the new paradigm emerges.
Those committed to the old
Hold on in fear of what is to become.

We are the doulas of the new becoming.
We must radiate the path with our brilliance.
We can no longer muzzle our truth,
Or curl in, protected by our fear.

We must remove our cloak of protection,
And put on our cape of courage,
And stand as priestess, shaman, guide
And assist in the birth
Of the New Becoming.

Kim Ebert-Colella
Feb., 2013

The Art of Snuggling

This morning my son
Crawled into my bed
Wanting to snuggle
Before we started our day.
“Put down your book, Mom,
so we can snuggle.”
“I can read and we can snuggle, too.”
I replied.
I finished the last few pages of my book.
I put it down and turned off the light
And I snuggled in.

He was right.
A true snuggle requires my full presence.
As I let go of all distractions
And relaxed into this precious moment,
I became aware of the
delicious warmth of the child
curled up next to me,
The smell of his hair,
The sound of his breath
The deep sense of peace,
comfort and joy
Of being snuggled
Together.

White Wings

White wings of freedom
Beat in my chest,
Releasing the talons of
Anger, resentment and fear.

I let go of the hurt,
And give you over to God,
As I take flight on
The path of my dream.

Aye…
Aye…
Aye.

There is Enough

I am so angry.
Tears well behind my eyes.
My heart feels heavy and broken.

Why do people need to abuse their power?
Why do they need to reduce the vibrant, powerful people among them
to less than who they are?
Why do they need to humiliate, disempower and intimidate?
Don’t they know?

There is enough for all of us.
There IS enough for all of us.
Together, we grow in strength.
Everyone is enriched by respecting the gifts of others.
All of us – even those with dissenting voices – are needed
to build strong organizations, institutions, and communities.

Why must those who speak truth be silenced?
Truth is so powerful.
It can destroy the fragile illusion of control.

My heart aches for the slow road we walk towards freedom.

Kare
5/12/11

The Great Amen

The Great Amen
Takes root in me.
Growing deep.
Shifting, changing
The landscape of my life.

As I let go of safe ground,
My insides quake.
The land beneath my feet
Rearranges itself,
Leaving me standing in
Uncharted territory.

Gingerly, I walk this new landscape,
Uncertain, uncomfortable with
the unfamiliar path ahead.

Deep and dark rumblings within me
Echo the Great Amen.

So be it.

-KARE
4/21/11

My Child

Precious Child,
My deepest dream
is that you will know
that my love for you
is deep
and steady
and strong.

Though there are many things
your can say or do that
would cause my heart to ache with sadness,
my blood to boil with anger,
or my soul to grieve deeply,

There is nothing, my dear one,
Nothing
you can say
or do
to stop me from
loving you.

You are my precious,
my beloved
my dear child.
My love surrounds you
always.