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The Woman in White Marble

Poems by Gayle Madison

Gayle's other writing can be found in Soul Desire by clicking here.

Gayle MadisonMy first classroom and congregation were made up of dollies and stuffed animals lined up on my bed under the gables of a pretty white house on a hill in Michigan. I drew pictures for them and promised love and faithfulness to counter what didn’t feel loving downstairs.

My educational journey flowed from art to art history to teaching children to ministry in the United Church of Christ. (The historic USA mainline Christian denomination that lives out the message of God’s radical welcome and inclusion).During twenty-five years as a local church pastor in Northern California my passions were connecting with human souls and preaching the love of God.

In order to more deeply connect with people I was guided in the 1980’s to train as a classical Christian Spiritual Director and then to become a Pastoral Counselor (American Association of Pastoral Counselors, AAPC). Through my relentless internal quest for self understanding and spiritual growth I became a student of the Enneagram, meditation, centering prayer and, for 17 years the Ridhwan School, learning that by making intimate contact with the truth of my everyday life, I can know the depths of whom and what I am. I came full circle when I discovered I am what I experienced as a little girl with my dollies; I am love.

Today I practice as a certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist. I work with my clients on their inner system of Parts while leading, guiding and following their inner journey grounded in the belief that “All parts are good and all parts are welcome.” IFS creates a therapeutic environment in which one’s inner system is deeply respected and nourished. Focused, nurturing attention to internal parts and the sacred, essential nature of Self is a concrete way to practice self-love and to lead a soul led life.

Soul Desire will be reflections on love and the sacred nature of ordinary experience. I present a collection of writings from past and present that include contributions to church newsletters, a travel blog, professional magazines, poetry, sermons, and heart-full reflections. Most contributions are filtered through yoga stretches, long walks, vigorous swimming, birds in my back yard, select women clergy, a creative witch, and my loving husband who is a publisher.

Saturday

Apr152017

A Gardinal Blessing

Saturday, April 15, 2017 at 7:37PM

The cardinal swings and eat
Calls to us from the woods
His flashy red blessings
Woven into the lake
Sky and puffy clouds
Gathered on the horizon
We are One.

That day you lost your wedding ring
During our long swim
Kayaking at sunset
It matters not.
The red emphatic call consecrated our loss
A replacement will remind us of
The golden day.

Your heart was heavy
18 karats of 18 years at the bottom of the lake
I watched you sag at the end of the dock
Those intertwined three rings a symbol
Alchemy of so much love and devotion
You grieved.

The cardinal’s bright call
Drew me to the beach
Toward my tenderness for you
Remembering miracles long past
Of Finding what was lost
I gave my eyes to search

And there it was gleaming by a root
Three perfect golden circles
Our love intact.
The cardinal flashed a red salute
And you your perfect smile
We shared the tears and words of thanks
Again today we swing and eat
We are One.