Reverence

 Reverence

I cuddle my granddaughter
by the shores 
of a North Woods lake
as gentle breezes blow.
She snuggles and sighs,
slips into sleep
after a busy morning 
of family and play and…
a bite from a hornet.
How deeply she cries,
how lovingly she is held,
how much she needs this rest.
Her soft breath
and full relaxation
stir my soul 
in a most delightful way.
I lay her down 
and a word slips 
into my mind -
reverence.
A free-flowing aspect
of my mothering, my teaching,
 my grandmothering.
Slowly,
the way the sun might rise
through layers of haze, 
I feel a glow 
of appreciation 

spread throughout my being.
It seems so simple, 
but, oh, how complex
to arrive here, 
deeply in me,
the same reverence
so freely given,
now tenderly nurtures
within.

Sarah Carlson
August 17, 2025

My Own Beginning

My Own Beginning

How beautiful it has been
to have babies in my life,
to share the immersive joy 
of having a son and a daughter
 with their wonderful dad.
And now to hold and cherish
 a grandson and a granddaughter,
be a part of their beginnings
and their expansion.
Sensations of love across generations
that rouse something timeless and true,
lead me back in wonder at the
beauty and vibrancy
 of my own birth. 
Such softness and pleasure
in recognizing that truth.
Like listening to summer rain
as thunder rumbles
in a place far away
or floating in the ocean
surrounded by 
shifting, lifting fog.
 I feel safe 
in the flow
 and wholeness of me,
recognize its presence
from my own beginning
and all along the way.

Sarah Carlson
July 22, 2025

Beings Intertwine

 Today is my 46th wedding anniversary, though Barry and I met 50 years ago. I remain grateful...

Beings Intertwine

Little one cries deep tears.
There are no words
so she is tenderly held
in loving arms.
After some time she settles,
sighs those big sighs
we all feel after a big cry.
I breathe deeply,
all the way down to my toes,
soothing my nervous system.
I feel hers settle, too. 
I close my eyes,
feel my breath in tandem 
with hers.
She is so tiny and vast,
open and true,
pure and vibrant.
A few mornings later
I step outside 
to feel the morning air
and listen to birdsong
as I awaken.
I notice a bee buzzing 
in some flowers,
take a closer look,
and smile.
There, right there,
is the truth.
Like beads of water
on emerging blossoms,
emotions surface,
newness unfurls,
and beings intertwine.
Thank you, bee.
How grateful I am
that this is so.

In loving memory of  Barry
with so much love,
Sarah Carlson
June  30, 2025

 

Dear Little One,

Photo by Emma Carlson

Dear Little One,

As I breathe and soften,
settle into Health,
images of you 
visit in a sort of 
visceral slideshow.
I see you, feel you,
honor your wellness 
and your wounds.
Sweet child,
you should have been 
surrounded
by love and support when 
confusion occurred,
hurt happened,
fear surfaced.
The energy of your 
strength and grace,
there then and here now,
sparkle with triumph and truth.
I’ve got you now,
Dear Little One.
While l feel
the thoughtful shyness
 we share
as I write this,
 I know for sure that
your light,
 our light,
is pure 
            and brilliant    
                 and true.
Let’s relax…
 revel in the sea of Love,
 savor the comfort 
of this beautiful light
as it shines.

Sarah Carlson
June 12, 2025

You Are

 

 You Are

I sense a presence,
my eye drawn to the pines
that mark the edge 
of our woods.
And there you are,
sitting silent
        steady,
    serene.
The strength of being widens,
welcomes my awareness,
as you fly free
above.

Sarah Carlson
June 3, 2025

Everywhere All At Once

 Everywhere All At Once

I lay still,
though there is motion.
Golden yellows,
soft blue-greens, hints of purple,
and rich, deep blues swirl.
A bright white bursts forth,
widens in all directions
with beauty, purity, and power.
I see, within the eyes of my soul,
the brightness of me.
I feel bountiful and free,
soft and fluid,
robust and right.
This brightness is both in me
and beyond my bounds.
Everywhere all at once.
I’m able to embrace it
as it embraces me.
Its benevolent support
allows me to feel
whatever needs to be felt
with wild abandon,
absent of guilt or fear.
The sweet, tender child within
can stretch and smile,
relax and repose,
speak and spark.

Later, as I reflect
by a quiet lake,
though the light
doesn’t seem as intense,
I know it is there - always,
especially amongst the grays.
I feel soft peace,
        gentle flow,
        freedom
    and Love… still.

Sarah Carlson
May 18, 2025

Cherish

 Cherish

By honoring
having been forsaken,
times of unease
become opportunities
for reflection and growth.
A foundational trust in oneself,
and in the Divine,
burgeons without restraint
as instilled doubts dissolve.

As this integrates,
I think back to Otto,
just days after becoming a big brother
to Mabel.
A visit to the beach
on a clear, cold January day.
Accompanied by gentle waves,
quiet currents,
heart rocks revealed
this pensive, warm-hearted boy
strides into brotherhood
with gusto.
No doubts or concerns,
just joy.
The light of Love
shines, reflects, shimmers
as he adores her
right from the start.
And now,
as Mabel stretches,
discovers,
 flows in the fullness of life,
I feel all of that in me.

The antidote to having been forsaken
is to both cherish … and be cherished.
What a welcome shift
in the tide.

Sarah Carlson
May 1, 2025

To Be Seen

Photo by Emma Carlson

 To Be Seen

I see you, little one,
the wholeness
 of the universe
 within.
Earthly energy,
ocean rhythms,
flowing waters,
 stars by the millions -
actually within us all.
I see you seeing me,
a sparkling connection of
crystal clear love
from one to another
and right back around.
Once again I am honored,
and so very grateful,
to be seen
through eyes that twinkle
with intrinsic delight,
natural wisdom,
and boundless love.

April 23, 2025

Lifted

Lifted

Fog over the mountain
softens springtime snow,
obscures the valley below.
She heads down
a familiar trail,
makes her way
through the gloom.
Just a few turns later
she drops below the murk,
stops,
  smiles at the sights
and sensations.
So many memories
and miles skied,
so much history here -
from the very beginning
and still in the making.
Nearby trees
and distant mountains
start to glisten
as the sun creates openings
through
 the cloudy cloak.
Light seems to raise
that which weighs heavy
and she feels this also
within.
Lifted,
                onward
she
                goes.

Sarah Carlson
April 14, 2025

 

The Promise

 The Promise

                   Briny essence,
                   soft sand,
                   pulse of the waves,
               be they gentle or strong.
The simplicity of a spring walk
on a quiet beach
settles my being just a bit.
How challenging it can be to hold
truth, healing,
self compassion,
and empathy for others
while navigating dysfunction,
distortion, and disbelief.
I’m tired.
So I stop,
look to the horizon,
watch sun sparkles dance,
listen to the soothing sound
of waves that ooze
onto the beach,
and then recede ever so slowly.
I breathe deep into my body,
feel the promise
of the good that is,
of what can shift,
of the power of hope.
I don’t know what else to do
but take it all in
and believe.
 

Sarah Carlson
March 31, 2025

For the First Time

 For the First Time

A billowing shape -
dark grays and black surge
around the edges,
deep reds and maroons swirl within.
No need to ask what it is.
I know.
It’s anger.
And, it’s beautiful.
For the first time
 I can be with it… freely.
No fear or sense of wrongness.
Just acknowledgment.
Days later opportunity presents
and emotions burst forth
from my fathoms.
For the first time
I cry and wail and purge
the immensity of loss,
sorrow, and injustice.
What an awakening,
what freedom,
what power!
And later, I am guided
to a place of stillness and light
where my perceptions clear,
my soul settles,
 equilibrium is present.
For the first time I feel mothered
in the same way I, myself, mother.
I am cherished just as I am.
I breathe freely,
no smothering allowed.
Like a soft blanket
the Light of Maternal Love
spreads over me,
weaves through me,
and for the first time
I rest openly in the embrace of
this wondrous, restorative love.
 
 

Sarah Carlson
February 28, 2025

Wordless

 Wordless

Tiny Mabel snuggles in my arms,
breathes sweet baby breaths,
seems to meld into my chest.
I lean back,
close my eyes,
immerse in the gentle flow of
generational Love.
It billows slowly within me -
warm and wispy,
 light and lofty,
beautiful and boundless.
I am calmed as I calm,
held as I hold,
nurtured as I nurture.
In beginning to know her
I access parts of me
 anew.
The tender, pristine energy
of a one month old -
 soft, wordless reminder
  of how delightful it is
to love
and be loved.

Sarah Carlson
February 14, 2025

Dear Love

Photo by Emma Carlson

Dear Love

What a delight
to hold you close.
Just days old,
your gentle strength
sparkles clearly with love.
Your namesake,
my Nanny,
 held me
with the same caring arms
and softness of heart
as I held your mama
and your uncle,
hold your brother,
and now you.
What continuity,
what dear love,
we all share.
Mabel Elska,
Dear Love.
Welcome.

Love, Oma
January 11, 2025

 

Forever Interwoven

 Forever Interwoven

I step out into the coming New Year
and look to the sky.
My eyes adjust,
 Orion and the Big Dipper appear
in the vastness.
A shooting star streaks across the sky
and I smile,
 perceive the energy of you -
subdued, soothing, celestial.
A soft, quiet sparkle of Love.
I acknowledge
 the purity of my presence,
the brightness of my light,
the truth of me -
and us.
Here I am,
there you are.
Here you are,
there I am.
Forever interwoven,
the warmth and softness
of sharing life with you
remains with me,
comforts me,
gives me peace
as I release
and am released.

Sarah Carlson
January 3, 2025