For September’s Spiritual Journey posts, Ramona asked us to consider her One Little Word, rhythm.
When I think of rhythm, I hear whatever anthem our choir sang on Sunday. This week the earworm is How Can I Keep from Singing, which wasn’t a hymn or anthem, but Zi, our director, played it as an instrumental on the piano. It has stayed with me.
I love to listen to sacred music when I am playing with collage. I have a discarded hymnal that I tear pages from. Sometimes the lines show through. Playing with collage has given me a feeling of freedom in creativity. I don’t worry about perfection at all. I select elements that please me.
I’ve made junk journal pages and postcards for poetry exchanges. I made the postcards by recycling canned drink boxes. I don’t feel precious about them. They will go into the mail and may get eaten or bent by the journey, and it doesn’t matter to me. I think there is a lesson in this kind of creating. Something sacred I am drawn to, a rhythm of peaceful dreaming.
Peace is an impractical word
playing well with others
like love
lingering in nature’s golden hours—
sunsets, rainbows…
Peace doesn’t always tell the truth.
Hang on to its tail
dangling like moss on Crepe Myrtle trees
in summer.Wishing can make it so.
Margaret Simon, draft
How do you feel sacred rhythm? Peace? Creativity?
Reflections on the Teche 
I’m listening to the video song as I type this reply, and what a treasure! I have loved this song for years, but what a creative arrangement. There were some good things that came out of Covid, and this is one of them. I like your postcard collages and the recycling feel of new purpose for things. Have you read Braiding Sweetgrass? This reminds me so much of the life of resource. Have a great day, and be on the lookout for a postcard in your mailbox. I made fabric collage ones this month. Take care, Margaret!