The Dreamer

August 27

THE DREAMER

“What about the dreamer?”

“What about her?” responds my sponsor.  “You ask me about her like I was the one who pushed her off the cliff.”

“Are you saying I pushed her?” I questioned my sponsor.

“Yes, that is just what I am saying. Do you need me to sing it?  You wanted the dreamer to fly off to safety and happiness and wanted her to take you with her.  In an attempt to grab hold of her ankles and propel her to heaven you threw her from the precipice. Now she is broken and bleeding far from your sight.  Your dreamer is damaged and you ask me what about her.  Do you want to know what you did and how to remedy it or were you looking to duck responsibly?”

“Quack.”

Run before you fly.

*

Defining the Indefinable

What is Alcoholism?

What is a Hurricane?

What is a Cataclysm?

I know I look for the root cause,

look to predict the outcome,

look to prevention and preservation.

This thing which comes pouring

from the four winds

to land in my yard

and knock on my screen door.

What it shows me today,

the furious winds,

the slanting rain,

may not be how it presents tomorrow,

I must keep in mind it is all the same storm

and must be regarded with the same respect

and treated with the same care and diligence.

Whether it’s the thirst or the thinking,

a jail cell or my mental mouse trap,

alcoholism is an umbrella term for the tsunami,

which came to collect me,

but no definition will convey the devastation it has wrought.

You are reading selections from Sober on the Way to Sane and More Lines From My Life by Sherrie Theriault

http://www.amazon.com/Sober-On-The-Way-Sane/dp/1440417342/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388576888&sr=8-1&keywords=sober+on+the+way+to+sane

http://www.amazon.com/More-Lines-From-My-Life/dp/1448677203/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388576956&sr=8-1&keywords=More+Lines+From+My+Life

Renting Joy

July 4

RENTING JOY

I cannot buy happiness.  No matter how much money I spend, how hard I work, I can never pay bliss off on lay away.  The angles of escape for glee are phenomenal.  I see runaway emotions and must concede ownership.  When opportunities arise for satisfaction I pay the fare and take the trip.  The boat isn’t mine to keep but the tour is forever in my heart.  I can’t take it home to bury it in the yard.  Like a wild thing I can leave joy where I find it.  I never need to cage or bind it.  I need to enjoy each measure while the music plays.  I remunerate for time in proximity; delight arrives and stays as long as it likes.  I linger at the table and enjoy my dessert.  Leasing elation is an occasion of celebration.  Living moment to moment has given me this chance.  So, I take it.

Copy your favorite shape.

*

What is at the Eye of the Storm?

Serenity is the alignment of three knowledges

1. Knowing that I am not without skill, talent, gifts.

2.Knowing that I am not without community,

connection, comfort.

3.Knowing that I am not without God,

whether or not I believe God is able to intervene.

When I am in full or even partial possession of these three

I am safe from storm, or no, drought,

or no, fiery hairy pestilence.

Without this knowledge everything is

storm, drought and pestilence,

no matter what anyone else says or all evidence to the contrary.

I will make my own mess when bereft.

I will pay a large price for ignoring the facts

and the lion’s share of this loss is loss of my serenity

You are reading selections from Sober on the Way to Sane and More Lines From My Life by Sherrie Theriault

http://www.amazon.com/Sober-On-The-Way-Sane/dp/1440417342/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388576888&sr=8-1&keywords=sober+on+the+way+to+sane

http://www.amazon.com/More-Lines-From-My-Life/dp/1448677203/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388576956&sr=8-1&keywords=More+Lines+From+My+Life

Defining the Indefinable

August 28

Defining the Indefinable

What is Alcoholism?  What is a Hurricane?  What is a Cataclysm? I know I look for the root cause, look to predict the outcome, look to prevention and preservation of this thing which comes pouring from the four winds to land in my dooryard and knock on my screen door.  What it shows me today, the furious winds, the slanting rain, may not be how it presents tomorrow, but I must keep in mind it is all the same storm and must be regarded with the same respect and treated with the same care and diligence.  Whether it’s the thirst or the thinking, a jail cell or my mental mouse trap, alcoholism is an umbrella term for the tsunami, which came to collect me, but no definition will convey the devastation it has wrought.

Make sure you are more than your memories

*

THE FRUIT BOWL

Meetings are living and precious fruit

I must squeeze every drop from them

even the lemons.

I am privileged to be among the succulent growth

and pungent fragrance of determined hearts

and minds ----the infusion of strength.

The vitality received from the essence of truth

gives and gives to me.

I am refreshed by exposure to raw talent

revived by action and growth.

The diversity of shape and flavor

cheer and inspire me.

The contrast from bowl to challis is dramatic

ever a reminder to stay where it’s fresh.

You are reading selections from More Sober on the Way to Sane and Lines From My Life by Sherrie Theriault

http://www.amazon.com/More-Sober-The-Way-Sane/dp/144141231X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1374072329&sr=8-3&keywords=sober+on+the+way+to+sane

http://www.amazon.com/Lines-My-Life-Sherrie-Theriault/dp/1448652820/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374072576&sr=1-1&keywords=Lines+from+my+life%2C+Sherrie+theriault

What is at the eye of the storm?

July 6

What is at the Eye of the Storm?

Serenity is the alignment of three knowledges

1. Knowing that I am not without skill, talent, gifts.

2. Knowing that I am not without community, connection, comfort.

3. Knowing that I am not without G-d, whether or not I believe G-d is able to intervene. 

When I am in full or even partial possession of these three I am safe from storm, or no, drought or no, fiery hairy pestilence and without this knowledge everything is storm, drought and pestilence, no matter what anyone else says or all evidence to the contrary.  I will make my own mess when bereft.  I will pay a large price for ignoring the facts and the lion’s share of this loss is loss of my serenity. 

Disrupt the effectiveness of negativity

*

THE BEAR

Living with my disease is like having

A sleeping Bear in the house.

I knew it was there, could hear it snore.

I never felt comfortable or able to turn my back

On it and get on with my life.

I felt under certain threat.

Fearing the bear would wake

When my attention was elsewhere

I proceeded to poke it with a stick.

I prodded it to wakefulness

In retrospect it is clear I was unprepared

For a wakeful bear.

Even with my full attention fixed on the brute

The Bear, which is my disease, roamed about the house

And made forays out into the world.

I had no plan or tool for these events

Finding a legion of people who had worked out

Living arrangements with their Bears

I happily joined their ranks.

My Bear wakes and sleeps at its will

But I am no longer afraid or unskilled

At handling this creature

Today I am so grateful for the Bear in my life.

I would never want a life without it

I live in a world filled with Bears

And would be at a loss as how to exist

If not for the practice and success

With the Bear that is my own.

Renting Joy

July 4

RENTING JOY

I cannot buy happiness.  No matter how much money I spend, how hard I work, I can never pay bliss off on lay away.  The angles of escape for glee are phenomenal.  I see runaway emotions and must concede ownership.  When opportunities arise for satisfaction I pay the fare and take the trip.  The boat isn’t mine to keep but the tour is forever in my heart.  I can’t take it home to bury it in the yard.  Like a wild thing I can leave joy where I find it.  I never need to cage or bind it.  I need to enjoy each measure while the music plays.  I remunerate for time in proximity; delight arrives and stays as long as it likes.  I linger at the table and enjoy my dessert.  Leasing elation is an occasion of celebration.  Living moment to moment has given me this chance.  So, I take it.

Copy your favorite shape.

*

What is at the Eye of the Storm?

Serenity is the alignment of three knowledges

1. Knowing that I am not without skill, talent, gifts.

2.Knowing that I am not without community,

connection, comfort.

3.Knowing that I am not without God,

whether or not I believe God is able to intervene.

When I am in full or even partial possession of these three

I am safe from storm, or no drought,

or no fiery hairy pestilence.

Without this knowledge everything is

storm, drought and pestilence,

no matter what anyone else says or all evidence to the contrary.

I will make my own mess when bereft.

I will pay a large price for ignoring the facts

and the lion’s share of this loss is loss of my serenity

Defining the Indefinable

August 28

Defining the Indefinable

What is Alcoholism? What is a Hurricane? What is a Cataclysm? I know I look for the root cause, look to predict the outcome, look to prevention and preservation of this thing which comes pouring from the four winds to land in my dooryard and knock on my screen door. What it shows me today, the furious winds, the slanting rain, may not be how it presents tomorrow, but I must keep in mind it is all the same storm and must be regarded with the same respect and treated with the same care and diligence. Whether it’s the thirst or the thinking, a jail cell or my mental mouse trap, alcoholism is an umbrella term for the tsunami, which came to collect me, but no definition will convey the devastation it has wrought.

Make sure you are more than your memories

*

THE FRUIT BOWL

Meetings are living and precious fruit

I must squeeze every drop from them

even the lemons.

I am privileged to be among the succulent growth

and pungent fragrance of determined hearts

and minds ----the infusion of strength.

The vitality received from the essence of truth

gives and gives to me.

I am refreshed by exposure to raw talent

revived by action and growth.

The diversity of shape and flavor

cheer and inspire me.

The contrast from bowl to challis is dramatic

ever a reminder to stay where it’s fresh.

The Dark Fantastic

August 15

The Dark Fantastic

When the tornado touches down worry ends; the anticipation is over and thought stops. Tragedy is funny that way. In the aftermath I find out what mattered and what didn’t; whether I have helped or injured myself trying to plan for the worst. I fail to realize there are cloud filled days when nothing happens and days when trouble comes from out of the blue. What matters ultimately is if I was happy yesterday all the way into today until the thunder struck. Greed is not: living for today; greed is my attempt at gathering the future while dragging the past.

Compel your brilliance to shine

*

AUTUMN

The falling leaves slap my hand

As I ride the road a fifty mile per

My arm dangling.

Exposed they stand stark,

Stripped naked to the soul.

The growth of this years yearnings on the fringe.

I can follow this lead

Remove pretence not clothing

Stand before all who have an interest in seeing me.

Unashamed of my wants and the things I reach for

I can cast off the uniform of evolution

And enjoy a long winter of truth.