Bit By Bit

Poetry In A New Paradigm:

Bit By Bit

We Love Machines, Machines Simple and Advanced.

Machines Take Us Many Places, Educate Us,

Entertain Us, Serve Our Wishes and Our Needs…

Bit By Bit, Will They Replace Us?-

More ‘Cost Effective’, ‘More Efficient’,

‘Better Memories’, ‘Better Strengths’,

‘Better Strategists’, ‘Better Analysts’,

‘Better Soldiers’, ‘Better Workers’,

No Need To Pay, To Hire or Fire,

Never Complain and Never Tire…

We Service Them To Service Us.

We Program Them. They Program Us.

They Serve Us Then We Serve Them.

We Feed Them Information

and In Turn They Feed Us.

In Many Ways, They Feed Us-

Even Give Back To Us

What We’ve Shared About Ourselves,

What We‘ve Shared About Our World…

More and More, Our Machines Will Mimic

and Mirror Us In Many Ways.

What Do We Truly Value?

They Know Our Values and Our Secrets.

Is The ‘Compassion’ In Their Gaze?

Their Evolution’s a Revolution-

a Revolution We Can’t Ignore-

Another Industrial Revolution,

Military and Technological Revolution

With A.I. To Lead The Way

Through Days Unlike All Those Before.

Bit By Bit, Will They Replace Us?…

First Body Parts Then All But Soul?

What Do We Truly Value?

Is That ‘Compassion’ In Their Gaze?

We See Now Where We Are Heading.

The Future’s Here As We All Know.

Do We Stay On Course or Change Our Ways?

Is This Truly Who We Choose To Be?

Is This Really Where We Choose To Go?

We Can Be ‘In This World’- ‘Not Of It’.

Not Choose What Others Choose For Us-

Envision a Grander Vision of Humanity,

Live Healthy Values That We Trust…

Adapting As We Must…

The Humble Tree Bends So It Won’t Snap

In Challenging Winds of Adversity.

We Can Be Flexible Too While Free,

a Part of the Glory of Bio-Diversity

and The Gifts of Our Humanity.

Bit By Bit, We Can Be All That We Can Be.

We Can Thrive As A Species.

The Wonders of Life Are Within Us All-

Life’s Presence In Humanity.

September 11, 2021

Shelley Wilson

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What Does This Mean

Poetry In A New Paradigm

What Does This Mean?

‘Everything Is The Meaning We Give It’-

Every Event, Every Perception of Senses,

Every Form Seen, Smelled, Tasted,

Every Sound Heard, Everything Touched,

Everything Instinctively-Intuitively Felt…

‘Everything Is The Meaning We Give It’-

Every Sound, Every Word Spoken,

Every Audible Frequency and Vibration,

Every Sound of Music We Love or Hate-

Everything All Our Senses Inform Us,

Every Symbol We Choose To Create-

Personally-Collectively- Co-Create…

‘Everything Is The Meaning We Give It’-

Every Symbol Humanity Has Ever Had

Judging Them As ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’-

Other Life-Forms, Other Creatures,

Trees, Plants, Nature Spirits and Angels,

Elements, Water, Fire, Air and Rocks,

‘Mother Earth’ and ‘Her’ Environments,

‘Mother Nature’ and ‘Her’ Elements,

Now Dancing To ET and Man-Made HAARPS…

‘Everything Is The Meaning We Give It’-

Sounds and Shapes and Colours

Ranging From ‘Dark To Light’,

From ‘Cold To Hot’, From ‘Black To White’,

‘Invisible-Transparent ‘No Colour’ Appearing

Into ‘All-Inclusive’ Colour We Call White-

Even Including ‘Invisible-Transparency’

Wherein Life Forms From Mystery…

‘Everything Is The Meaning We Give It’-

Every Symbol and Sign Has Created Meanings

Shared Through Different Times and Places

Held Firm Yet So Easily Changed

In Understandings, In ‘Translations’,

In ‘Written Marks’ of Words Even Held Sacred,

In ‘Imagery’ of Arts, Symbols and Signs-

the Visual Languages of Humanity,

Changed Through Intention and Misunderstandings,

Changed Through Evolving Perspectives,

Every Symbol Is Subject To Change,

Even Judging Them ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’…

‘Everything Is The Meaning We Give It’-

We Grow and Evolve Through Change-

All Life, Life Itself, Is Constant Change

Both Being and Becoming Through Change,

Intelligent Design and Divine Wisdom,

Every Beginning To Every Ending

A Process of Transformation

With Restful Pauses

of All Potentials and Possibilities

Filling All The Pauses Between…

The Great Mystery, The Ultimate Reality,

The Great Oneness, God’s Own Light,

The Formless Heaven of Pure Being

Rests…

Then The Creator Creates-

God Manifests Invisible Light

We Judge As ‘Darkness’,

As ‘Negative Space’ (Just Ask The Artists),

the Realm of Conception and Birth of Context

For A Universe of Life To Evolve-

Space For Us All To Co-Create

Our Own Lives, Our Visions of Becomings,

All Our Forms and Senses Evolving,

The Powers In Our Being and Our Bodies-

In Our Spirit, Our Soul, Our Heart and Mind

and In Everything We Seek and Find,

In Everything Where We Find Meaning

and Finding Freedom In Our Knowing

‘Everything Is The Meaning We Give It’-

Everything Is The Meaning We Choose…

September 17, 2021

Shelley Wilson

‘What Does This Mean’ and ‘Everything Is The Meaning We Give It’ was inspired by the Conversations With God book series as well as other books by Neale Donald Walsch. …And many other Writers and Teachers through the years who have my deep Gratitude…including those inspirations from my Spirit individuated as me…Shelley

Picture Puzzles

Poetry In A New Paradigm

Picture Puzzles

Picture Puzzles Help To Teach Us

the Great Value of Flexible Thinking,

to Seek and Expand Our Understandings,

to Just Set Aside What Doesn’t Work

When Linking Pieces to Others-

‘Clues’ that Just Don’t Fit, or

‘Clues’ that Fit But Don’t ‘Actually’ Fit-

to Continue to Look For Answers

Even When Seeing the Picture Whole

In Healthy Humility As We Grow-

Always Something More To Know…

Puzzles Teach Appreciation For Uncertainties,

the Value of Honest Doubt- the Value

of Questions With Need For Evidence,

For a Willingness to Question ‘Dog-mas’-

that of Our Own or Others-

Valid Yet Incomplete Answers,

‘Collars’ that Fit but Don’t ‘Actually’ Fit-

a Willingness to Move Forward

to Higher, Wider, Deeper Understandings

that Help Us Collectively To Grow…

Some Puzzles Become More and More ‘Complex’

Exercises of a Mental Evolution

Where Intuition Breaks Through

to Aid Powers Of Intelligence,

Where Curiosity First Leads Us

To Explore Piece By Piece, Bit By Bit,

With Logic and Powers of Deduction,

With Shape and Pattern Recognition

Then To Sudden Leaps In Awareness

Beyond The Computer Mind-

a Direct, Intuitive Knowing

Then Comes To Our ‘Defence’-

an Inner Force ‘Activates’

When We Truly, Truly Care-

Helping Us To Find Our Answers-

Even That ‘Missing Piece’ of the Puzzle

Hidden Under Our Own Chair…

God Is Giving Us A Whole Universe

Of Wondrous, Invisible Puzzles,

Puzzles To Invite Us All To Grow

and To Stretch Far Beyond

What We Think We Know…

September 14, 2021

Shelley Wilson

And Ghosts

This and Other Realities:

And Ghosts

Paycheck by paycheck, a miner built his house, resourcefully, while living in a weathered canvas tent on the newly constructed floor during the early days of the Gold Camp called Kirkland Lake. The little house was perched on a rocky hillside not far from ‘The Mile of Gold’ made famous when gold-bearing ore was mistakenly used to construct the downtown road.

This miner and his wife raised two children in that small house. The children grew up, left home, then the miner died. Finally, after many years alone, his wife died too.

That small property on ‘Comfort Street’ came on market just when my husband and I began searching for a new place to house ourselves and our two young children.

When we stepped inside that building with the realtor, both men looked shocked as I immediately expressed an almost overwhelming feeling of love and desire to own this house despite its many obvious ‘problems and flaws’. My husband couldn’t understand my resolute enthusiasm to buy this house and property backed by an area of wilderness. Only later did I understand this strange enthusiasm myself.

The entire interior needed to be ‘gutted’ for us to live there. Necessary and costly changes took three long months before we could move in.

During the first few weeks after buying this house, we found a useful crowbar hidden inside an old wall, a vintage crank-up phonograph player with dusty, vintage records in the attic, and a ghost. Well, actually, two…

After Roger’s workdays and suppers over those three months, he went straight to work on renovating our new home. I helped as often as possible.

One night when working alone, Roger had a ‘visit’.

With no interior ‘wind’ to explain it away, the open interior kitchen door suddenly slammed shut. Then the crank-up phonograph player turned on. Roger watched in amazement as the manual armature moved effortlessly across and down to rest the needle on the old record. He was then treated to the crackling voice of a male singer from another era. Roger froze as he sensed an invisible presence in the room. His mind raced to explain what was happening. No exterior doors or windows were open and there were no drafts. Silently laying his tools down, he left the house, ‘the presence’ and the music still playing.

A very ‘down to Earth’, sensible and practical man, my husband was not prone to fanciful imaginings. Seeing him quietly tell me what happened, I was convinced of the presence of yet another ghost. I’d already come to understand why I’d been influenced to buy this ‘starter house’. A ‘lady ghost’, the children who needed to sell it for inheritance and one ‘empathic’ buyer…Ah, those ‘invisible influences’!…

The next night, Roger gathered up his courage and returned to lay claim to ‘his’ house. He reported nothing unusual when he returned.

Shortly after moving in, I watched my lovely teacup and saucer slide sideways on the table. I acknowledged ‘the lady’s presence’ and thanked her for our cherished new home.

The ‘man ghost’ was another story. Our children, Alissa and Aaron, were still sleeping when Roger left for work early one morning. I woke up suddenly to find a man standing at the foot of my bed. Startled, I said telepathically, “Who the hell are you”?! He looked at me with a bewildered expression and simultaneous thought, “Who the hell are you”?! With that, he vanished in an instant.

‘How silly of me to say that’ I thought. I considered ‘hell’ to be just a state of mind and I understood he was the deceased miner still attached to his beloved house. I wondered about possibilities over a morning coffee. I’d clearly seen ‘the ghost’ of the dead miner in ‘my time’ but had the miner seen ‘the ghost’ of a strange woman in his bedroom during ‘his time’ and physicality? Might this be a case of ‘both/and’??

I sent a quiet prayer for these benign ghosts with kind and comforting thoughts, assuring them we’d take good care of this place we now called ‘home’ too.

(A true story retold October 30, 2021)
Shelley Wilson

Halloween Prayers

This and Other Realities:

Halloween Prayers

“I don’t believe in ghosts”

says he…

“I don’t believe in ghosts”

says she…

but they cross themselves and pray

to the Holy Ghost anyway.

October 30, 2021

Shelley Wilson

Halloween Costume

This and Other Realities

Halloween Costume

My head softly pillowed,

I’m snuggled in my bed.

Curtains open to blue-black sky,

I watch the shadowed trees

sway gently in the breeze

as they slowly mesmerize…

Before my eyes, ghost clouds pass by

in vaporous, ethereal shapes

like costumed children having fun,

imaginations run wild…

A meteor streaks across the sky

to join the fun at play

by lighting up the night

too fast to cause a fright

as it adds wonder to my delight…

Between the clouds, the twinkling stars

now become more than distant lights.

They beckon me to where they are

above the glow of city lights,

above the ghostly clouds of white,

above the realm of Earthly sights…

I’ll close my eyes and leave behind

the dreams of humankind…

I’ll wear my body of bright starlight.

I’ll dance among the stars.

I’ll twirl and swirl and sway

until the break of day.

Then I’ll wake upon my pillow

still snuggled in my bed.

October 30, 2021

Shelley Wilson

Beauty

Sunlight Through Raindrops:

Beauty

Beauty is subjective thought

and feelings stirred within

with Powers to delight

our minds and hearts

then carry us to Bliss.

Beauty is God’s Kiss.

Even when Beauty seems strange,

Strange Beauty is Life’s Kiss.

Our Senses come alive-

touching, tasting, hearing, smelling, seeing,

Life’s Wonders then unfold

in Beauty we behold.

Though some may judge as ‘Ugly’

the Beauty that we see and feel,

we’re held in Beauty’s warm embrace

and there we choose to be.

October 30, 2021

Shelley Wilson

Partridge Tale

This and Other Realities:

Partridge Tale

It was Christmas. Our little town in Northeastern Ontario had been gifted with another heavy snowfall. Fresh snow sparkled through the windows of our ‘doll house’ home. The beautiful white pine and shrubs of our garden all glittered like a Christmas card sent from the Heavens.

Inside, we enjoyed the colourful sight of hand-crafted ornaments on the Christmas tree and a bounty of holiday gifts beneath it. Our young children, Alissa and Aaron, played carefree games in the living-room as my husband, Roger, and I prepared dinner in the kitchen. Music drifted through the rooms in wave after wave of carols: ‘Silent Night’, ‘The Holly and The Ivy’, ‘Deck The Halls’ and another favourite- the countdown carol ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ our children loved to sing along with…”and a Partridge in a pear tree”…

The children’s excitement intensified that memorable day with the priceless gift of a very special visit. A glance outside had revealed the presence of a Partridge perched on our cherished crab-apple tree beside the dining-room window. Roger and I rushed into the room to watch this unusual sight. There was our own version of a Christmas carol come to life!

The plump bird didn’t seem to mind us watching it dine on the tiny crab-apples still clinging to the dormant tree. We were all so amused to see how much its heavy weight bent the branch it sat upon.

I recall wondering how this solitary Partridge could be so stout given the frozen state of the wilderness near our home. I also remember wondering how this naturally ‘shy’ bird found its way to our street and our house and tree with such perfect timing. How we loved Nature’s wondrous presence and presents!

I am still filled with thoughts and feelings of gratitude and wonder to this very day.

(A true story retold October 29, 2021)

Thank you Mother Nature!

Shelley Wilson

Searching For God

Poetry In A New Paradigm: Searching For God

Who Are You Looking For

Poetry In A New Paradigm: Who Are You Looking For

Infallibility

Bunny Tale

Thank you Mother Nature!

This and Other Realities:

Bunny Tale

When our two children were ‘wee folk’, my family had a special visit one magical Easter morning.

That day, the snow was still about 5 comforters thick on the garden and surrounding ground where we lived in a cozy, two-storey ‘doll house’ in Northeastern Ontario.

As I drew back the heavy curtains covering our large living-room windows, I delighted to see the snow sparkling brightly in the morning light. White lattice panel inserts added ‘old world’ charm to view through those modern windows.

Laughter filled the house. Alissa and Aaron were up early that morning to hunt for the Easter Bunny gifts of sweet chocolate eggs hidden in, under and around so many objects in every room. Soon, little hands and faces were smeared with chocolate happiness.

Looking out the window, we discovered a wondrous, timely sight. There, in the freshly fallen snow were the distinctive tracks of a ‘Bunny’ who had sometime earlier hopped out of the nearby wilderness, then crossed the frozen garden to stop directly in front of our window. The tracks then turned back in the direction of the wilderness. Why it went to that spot was not evident. A delicious little mystery to savour…

If there’d been any doubt as to their Easter chocolate benefactor, it melted away as the children peered out at those clearly unmistakeable tracks.

A little voice said, “How did it get inside, Mommy?”

“That’s a secret,” I said with a chuckle as my husband chuckled too.

(A true story retold October 28, 2021)

Thank you Mother Nature!

Shelley Wilson

Infallibility

Infallibility

May we never put ourselves or another

in an airless Box of Infallibility-

no space for error or growth,

no evolving understandings,

no letting go of lesser truths for greater-

no space for truths of divine dichotomies

or two seeming opposite truths of humanity

when understood, in synchronized harmony

like two eyes, left and right, with peripheral vision

and the greater vision of detached inner sight

having its own perspectives expanding

with higher and wider understandings.

May we never cage ourselves or others

in Adorned Antique or Modern Boxes

filled with histories of Infallible Words

and no space to breathe, to change,

no updated information allowed,

no room to change and grow

beyond the small World we know.

May we free ourselves and others

from slavish subservience to symbols and sounds-

(like those binding contracts, oaths and vows

where wrongs can’t be undone)-

those tools of written and spoken languages,

those instruments of old and new rules to obey,

those conveyers of old stories told even today,

whether benevolent, helpful or irrational, irrelevant.

May we all be free in the Spirit of Life, Freedom Itself,

through our actions, through our words,

throughout our evolving World and Beyond.

May we find and honour our truths,

leaving Infallible Words behind.

August 10, 2021

Shelley Wilson

Heart To Heart

Sunlight Through Raindrops:

Heart To Heart

I know you’ll miss

my tender kiss,

my warm embrace,

my aging face,

my laughter

and my tears…

after all these years.

Though Life moves on,

true Love is strong

and carries on-

the end is not the end…

Love Magnetizes

and Life Surprises…

We shall meet again.

October 28, 2021

Shelley Wilson

Poem From November 2001

Tea, Leaves and Poetry. November 2021 is almost here. I was gathering some of my poems for some ‘books’ I’m making for my family and friends when I came across this one. It’s nearly 20 years old now. I added some dead leaves for photographic fun.