Author and Inspired Writer

This was the first time I participated in the Scattered Ecstasies event, a bringing together of poets, painters and actors to perform an alchemy of poem into painting, painting into poem and everything into spoken word. And it was a night of ecstasies for me, first to see my poem transformed into paint and canvass – there are photos of it on my FaceBook page – and then to hear someone other than me interpret my work. I found ecstasy to be a rather destabilizing condition, heart thundering, palms sweating, knees shaking, and the most massive case of goosebumps known to medical science. But oh! what a ride!

My deepest thanks to Danah Beaulieu for the breathtaking translation of my Magdalene poem, “the pulse” into a completely different medium, visual, spiritual, beautiful and unforgettable all at once. And to Michele Legere for her masterful performance of same. Through these two women my words became flesh, and flesh words once again.

I’ve been asked to post a copy of “the pulse” for those who weren’t at the event and I am more than happy to comply. This is the first time one of my Magdalene Poems has been made public – another ecstatic experience for me!

the pulse

wherever i went
people wanted to touch me
embrace me
kiss my hands as i walked past
touch my face, my arms
the sick on litters reached out for the hem of my robe
the strap of my sandals

when we gathered on the ground
to hear jesus preach
the women became little girls again
younger sisters
one would rest her head on my shoulder
another on my lap
a third would massage my feet
sooner or later
i would feel my veil slipping off
and gentle fingers braiding my hair
diving in and out
like little birds
making a nest

in the women’s tent every month
it was like trying to sleep
in a litter of puppies

sisters! please!
i have only two sides!

well then, roll over
and maybe you’ll find two more

it was the gorgeous, golden, erotic pulse
of the love between jesus and me
that drew them in
soul to soul
skin to skin
and the more who joined us
the stronger
purer
deeper
it grew
thundering to me
to jesus
back to them
back to us

even the pharisees felt the pull
in their unguarded moments
but caught themselves at the last
and walked away
rubbing their eyes
as if dazzled by the light

cocky young bucks
strutting their virility
would become suddenly shy
and ask in whispers
(the older men nonchalantly drawing near)
lady mary
tell us, please
how should we be with our women?
how do we make them shine
like you?

and i assured them
the answer
like the kingdom
already lay within their hearts
listen, i said
bringing my fingertips to their chests
listen here

just
listen

The next day, I hustled my bustle on down to the bank to close out my savings account and deposit that money into my chequing. My savings account has always very small, no more than $100, since I only ever used it for PayPal transactions. I thought if my PayPal account was ever hacked (and it was) the hackers would get no more than $100 (and they didn’t). I hadn’t used PayPal in two years, so I figured now’s the time to close out that account and use whatever money is still in it to offset the cost of the painting.

Liz was the friendly teller who waited on me, whose fingers fairly flew over the keys on her terminal as she carried out the transaction. “OK then,” she said, “so the $700 dollars in your savings account is now in your chequing.”

“Excuse me?”

She raised her voice and repeated, “I moved the $700 dollars in your savings into your chequing.”

The sound of my jaw hitting the floor.

“Ma’am? Are you OK?”

“700?” I said when I recovered my powers of speech.

“Yes,” she said slowly, squinting her eyes. “You weren’t expecting that much?”

“Nowhere near!”

“Oh. Well then, this is a good day for you.”

“You have no idea!”

I was so rattled, I didn’t even ask her where the extra money had come from.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“What? Oh, well, now that you mention it, I’m out of cheques and I was wondering how much to order some new ones.”

Again the fierce clicking of keys.

“Well, as your account is paperless, I can order you 50 free cheques…Ma’am?” she said as my jaw became momentarily unhinged again.

“But last time I ordered online and I had to pay!”

“Sure, cuz you ordered the fancy-schmacy cheques. The plain ones are free.”

“Uh huh. Sooo what you’re telling me is that I have over $600 I never knew I had, plus I can get free cheques?”

“Yup!”

“I am having an awesome day!”

She started to laugh.

“So is there anything else I can do for you?”

“If there is, I can’t imagine what it could be! You’re just an angel!”

“Oh thanks!” she giggled as I turned to go. “And you have a good day, sweetie…er, I mean, Mrs. Beaudoin.”

Bottom line? I have more than enough to cover the painting without dipping into any household monies. I retrieved my “intention paper” from my God box when I got home and wrote on the back, “Prayer answered the next day! The money was in my account all along!” Turns out, the money was my tax refund. It had been in my account since April. I never checked it because like I said, I only ever used that account for PayPal. I guess I assumed the refund had gone into our joint account at another bank. Never in a million years would I have thought to look in my savings! And I’m still not clear on how Revenue Canada got that account number. But pish-tosh! The money was where I needed it, exactly when I needed it. And that’s good enough for me!

This stuff works, folks! And ain’t I glad!

I know it’s been a while, children, and for that I apologize, but my my! hasn’t the place been hoppin’ lately! In spite of it all though, The Magdalene Poems are progressing quite nicely, thank you. But today’s post is about the power of Divine Order.

I’ve been reading the book, Outrageous Openness, by Tosha Silver, which made such a huge impression on me I just had to spread the word. The subtitle is, Letting the Divine Take the Lead, and it is full of incredible, wonderful, awesome, and just plain nifty stories of how much easier and more marvelous our lives can become if we would just invoke Divine Order more often. I thought I pretty much had a handle on this kind of thing in my own life…until a week ago.

You may remember that one of my Magdalene Poems has been “translated” into a painting that will be shown at the Scattered Ecstasies Event later on this month at Sho Gallery. The painter, Danah Beaulieu, informed me a week or so ago that the painting was nearing completion and did I want to see it before she took it to Sho on September 2nd? I couldn’t get away, so I said no, but I couldn’t wait to see it on the 19th. A couple days later, I’m chuffing away on my treadmill, where I sometimes am set aglow with inspiration and not just sweat, and I felt a strong urge to buy her painting, sight unseen. I knew at least one of the paintings from previous events had sold and I couldn’t bear the idea that someone else might take away the painting my poem had inspired. I also knew how much that painting had gone for, and I thought I could handle a comparable price. So I fired off an email and asked Danah if she would sell “The Pulse” to me. She was absolutely delighted and promised to get back to me with the price as soon as she was done. Not long after, she did and that’s when I learned the price would be considerably more than I was expecting. But I had made an oral contract with her and I wanted that Magdalene painting with a soul longing. So I told her okie-dokie, I’ll pay you the night of the event at Sho, figuring this would give God some time to work a financial wonder.

I’m not a stranger to financial wonders. There was a trip The Mister and I simply couldn’t afford until two generous souls covered all our expenses. We lost our car after it was slammed by a chip truck, only to drive home in a “free” one exactly two weeks later, paid for by my inheritance which came in at exactly the right time. We racked up two grand in medical bills which were covered, with something like $1.70 to spare, by a writing grant. I reminded myself of all these wonders and said, “I really felt it was You inspiring me to buy this painting. If it is, then you’ll see me through this. And if it’s not, could you see me through it anyway?”

Then I put a message in my God Box. Tosha (oh yeah, we’re on a first name basis now!) suggests putting your concerns on paper and pop them into some kind of container. If the worry keeps bugging you, you’re to say “It’s in the box” and let it go. To quote – “During the period of offering, solutions often spontaneously arise. When the mind is no longer grasping for an answer, space opens. The Box gives room for a Divine plan…” I wrote on a slip of paper: “I know the money (and I specified the amount) for the Magdalene painting is on the way and will arrive at the perfect time from my Divine Source, and I thank You for it in advance.”

I popped the paper in the God Box, and went to bed.

A while back The Mister mentioned it might be getting time for his “all-over bath.” I looked up startled and asked, “Has it been six months already?” Whereupon he gave me the cold fish stare and wandered off the bathroom.

As he was completing his ablutions and drying off his feet, he remarked, apropos of nothing, “Missus, I think I’ll take the afternoon off and cut my toenails.”

“Oh?” I asked, squinting in the mirror at the lovely imprint crows have left in the corner of my eyes, “And why is that, pray?”

“Well,” he worked the towel between his toes, “earlier this morning, I caught a squirrel.”

I took a moment to absorb that, then turned to him and said, “Y’know Pa, when I ask a question, and you think the answer will leave an image in my brain that will scar me for life, feel free not to answer.”

He thought about it a moment, then said, “Fair ’nuff,” and commenced a vigorous drying of his hair.

“Did I mention the squirrel was in a tree at the time?”

“Pa!”

“I just wanted you to get the complete picture.”

Complete…and eternal.