TORNADO
In the eye of the deadly desert
Lies the Land of Oz
The eye of the tornado was one path there.
Perhaps it was their odd ways of travel:
Tornadoes, bubbles, and flying monkeys-
But the people of Oz lacked grounding.
Maybe it was being isolated by toxic sands
For grounding comes from connections.
So, while the scarecrow found solutions
He mistrusted his brain.
The tinman avoided harming even mice and ants
Yet doubted his loving heart.
And the lion and the tiger mothers
Were blind to their own courage.
Even the highest power in Oz
Was a humbug.
Dorothy rode the eye of a tornado
Proving that storms can drop houses
Yet create communities.
Dorothy –
A protagonist seeking her way home
A director for her friends
An auxiliary, when her golden road
crossed the paths that others walked.
Not only Dorothy made this journey.
Many children and adults are swept up
in the storms of life
to arrive in a strange land.
A land sometimes beautiful, sometimes frightening
Yet each with no ambivalence in their Diamond of Opposites
They keep repeating:
“I want to go home…”
Not back to a house of neglect
Or a well of shame
Or a closet of fears
But home to self.
Unlike Oz,
Our authentic home holds true magic-
To both be grounded yet soar…
And we find that magic in the storm’s eye.
Dorothy’s story is famous.
Each person comes to Oz
With a story deserving to be told:
Stories of separation –
Whether that leaving is forced, chosen or our drive to survive.
Stories of transformation and challenge
Of confronting our fears
Whether a wicked witch or a wicked mother
Flying monkeys or the angel of death
And stepping closer to our own
heart, body, spirit.
Stories of incorporation:
Drawing out courage
Celebrating resiliency
Breathing in gratitude
Standing not on a yellow brick road
But before a golden mirror
And seeing ourselves
as we truly are – each beautiful.
Stories of continuity:
Bringing the richness of ourselves back from Europe
Or waving flags to say
Farewell and Welcome to Dolores
In her transformed state.
These stories are our way home.
Dorothy began her journey
with silver slippers
She walked and talked and gradually learned their power.
They brought her home,
but only after she moved
and took those first three steps.
We’re gathered, knowing that no shoes
Not even Dolores’
Have the magic to take us home.
We have shared our storms and stories
Found treasures within and with others.
We meet in this now and this eye:
As a place
both calm yet overflowing with energy
To listen to what came before
To picture our future home
And to celebrate the gifts of this moment.
Gifts that bring us through the storms
Gifts within our loving community
And the energy from our transpersonal “I”
As we find our balance
As we find our grounding we have the energy, the healing,
The hope that allows us to leave Oz
To return to our higher self
Bringing this peace with us.
As we prepare to step apart in space
but not in our hearts
We can feel the connections within this eye
As an anchor to our true selves-
“There is no place like this home.”
With much gratitude, respect and love for each of us who were able to express our vulnerable stories, support with our compassion and hold each other in the eye of our respective storms. A very special thanks to Dale and Nina for again helping us create this sacred space. July 19, 2017