Around Your Table
You have invited
All the parts of my shadow
To leave their hiding places
And come to Your table
At first I was afraid
I was confused and ashamed
But your love beckoned me forth
And I took that first step in faith
I was surprised by the many
Parts of my shadow
That responded
To Your call
They must have been
Secretly yearning
To be invited
To leave their home of isolation
My undeniable hunger
Sensed that Your call
Was genuine
And could be trusted
To openly expose
My shadow parts full of shame
Without trembling
Nor being paralyzed by fear
The strength of Your Love
Just kept growing and growing
Slowly filling my heart and soul
To overflowing
To receive Your warm embrace
To feel your heart beating
Next to mine
Slowing it to a peaceful rhythm
At last I can let go
And embrace my True Self
Consumed by Your great love
Knowing that all is well
2/11/24
Fear or Love
Why, oh fear
Do you rob me of my breath
And frighten the core of my very being
What makes you so strong and powerful?
You can make me doubt
Everything that I experience and believe
You can steal my peace and calm
And make me think that I am going mad
I must be reminded
That you rarely represent true danger
But when true danger is present
I will listen to your voice
The great deceiver fools us all
Some of the time
But true wisdom speaks just as loudly
If I pause to listen
Your great love is the only force
That can silence the voice of fear
Yet I struggle to embrace
The breadth and depth of Your
Consuming fire of unconditional love
Lord, cast out all my fear
My doubt, my shame, my guilt
Fill my heart
With your amazing grace
Allow me to receive
Your grace and mercy and forgiveness
Bind up my heart and soul
With everything that you have for me.
2/10/24
Emptiness
I must fill this emptiness
Deep inside of me
What do I need?
Where will it be?
Emptiness is a great illusion
Though it is not so plain to see
It feels so all consuming
Like I’m lost, deep in the sea
I try to fill this emptiness
With anything and everything
I stuff & stuff & stuff & stuff
Only to sit bloated in misery
In misery, I surrender
My will betrays me again
I must seek the great mystery
Where only the mystics can see
I’m told I possess a hidden wholeness
Within this broken vessel
I have a true identity
That’s plain for others to see
Allow my mind to descend into my heart
Great spirit give me eyes to see
The mystery of my own wholeness
Created in the image of Thee
John Hamlett 10/1/23
Necessary Suffering
Why must I suffer,
Such deep pain
Longing for relief
Where can I run,
Where can I hide,
Only in vain
Let me dissociate
Let me be numb
Lost in an unconscious state
I fear that pain will kill me
Completely overwhelm me
Can this be true?
Life calls me forth
Out of my hole
Great hunger drives me
The love that I seek
Seems like a dream
So far Away
Rejection, my greatest fear
Looms at the door
Waiting to wound my heart
Is suffering really necessary?
Cannot it be avoided?
This universal human affliction
Pain is the rent
That we all must pay
For the chance of deep connection
Without suffering
There would be no love
No joy
He feels our pain
Our great sorrow
Our fear
The Cross
Was his acceptance
Of underserved suffering
Our pain will connect us
If we allow it
To all of creation
It takes great courage
We must learn to feel it
In order to heal it
We must learn to share it
In order to bear it
Learn to grieve it, in order to leave it
Do you have the courage
To tear down the walls
And expose your wounded heart
Open to the most powerful force
Of pain binding Love
And surrender to the mystery
Love is more powerful
Than your greatest pain or fear
Embrace it, breathe it and rest in it
Allow the great mystery
To transform your pain and suffering
Through the eternal fire of blinding Love
John Hamlett 9/30/23
River of Love
Your River of Love
Flows freely
to one and all
It surrounds me
Nurtures me
Inspires
Teach me to surrender
Allow me to trust
So I can float
Replenish my energy
From days of exhaustion
Going my own way
Surrender is simple
Yet hard
And scary
The flow of your
River of Love
Satisfies completely
I will drink your
Living water
And never thirst
Take me
Allow me to go
In your loving flow
Embraced by
Perfect love
And peace
John Hamlett 6/6/23
Awaken
Awaken
Oh my soul
Awaken a new day is dawning
Break through
The fear, the doubt
The numbness
Be quiet
Listen
Lean in
Give me ears to hear
Great Spirit
Holy one
Awaken
True Self
Divine nature
I choose you
Fill my heart
True identity
Grant me true love
Grant me wisdom
Grant me grace
For myself
And others
Holy unity
I surrender
My heart
My will
Make me
A vessel
Of Your Love
By John Hamlett 5/31/23
The Gift (Soularise 2022)
They came by car, bus, train, and plane from near and far away.
They came seeking, hungry, hurting, and despairing
Some full of hope, some feeling hopeless
They had great expectations and small expectations, and some had no expectations at all
In fact, some came trembling with fear, so that they could not even begin to hope
Lest they be disappointed again, one more time
Some walked boldly with purpose, others softly and quietly not daring even to stir up a breeze.
They pounded drums and howled at the moon
They shook hands, gave hugs, shared big smiles and warm greetings with old friends and new faces
Some were wide open, others shut down, some very eager, others very cautious
With great courage they opened their eyes and ears and hearts and minds
They paused and listened, thought for a while, and pondered what they heard
The veil became thin and the icy walls around their hearts began to melt
As the white-hot breath of the spirit blew into their minds and bodies
They shook with excitement and fear, some dazed and confused, others falling yet soaring on the winds
God spoke truth into their souls and rubbed healing balm on their wounds
Mending broken hearts and lives and relationships
For one moment time stood still, there was no regret about the past, no anxiety about the future
They were all fully Present
The love and grace and mercy of the almighty flooded their entire beings
God’s voice could be heard by one and all
“You are my beloved, you are worthy, You are the Gift
“You are my gift to all of creation”
“You are my gift to your family and friends and all those you meet along your journey
Trust my voice and never forget
Wait, what, why, me?
Yes, you my child, you my child, you my child
Their eyes filled with tears as the words they had been longing to hear
The words I had been longing to hear, all of my life, finally
These precious words penetrated deep into my soul
A bright light chased away all the darkness and fear and doubt and shame
There was no longer any fog or confusion or distraction, only great clarity of thought and mind
I had heard these words before, quietly, faintly, softly, like a thought or a whisper
But now there was no denying their source or their message
Now these words embraced me and squeezed me and held me tightly and would not let go
Finally, finally, I knew for sure
That God had chosen me, yes, even me
And I could rest, I could rest
Ahh! So sweet! Such peace!
I am blessed!
By John Hamlett
The Winter’s Day Reflection
Once mighty trees have fallen, and they decay
The small trees have lost their leaves and now stand naked
The dead leaves cover the brown earth
The forest is awash with multiple shades of gray, brown, white and green
All is still
Really everything that once stands tall, will fall
Every brilliant flash of green will fade to brown and gray
You will spring forth with new life and you will die
A thousand times
Can you embrace the living and the dying?
By John Hamlett
The Place I Want to Get Back to
As I contemplate the place I want to get back to
I pause and reflect on one choice after another
That mostly turned into one mistake after another
Or at least a missed opportunity
I think, why would want to go back to a place of naïve innocence and ignorance
Why would I want to experience regret, one more time
The place I want to get to
Is a place I have never been
Or maybe I was once there, but maybe not
Innocence is such a sweet place to visit
But you can’t live there, or you will surely die
There is no place I want to get back to
I want to be in the place where I am right now
Living in the present moment, I think
Is how I live in Divine Presence
Living in the present is a gift to be embraced
A place where I can see endless opportunities
By John Hamlett
An Ode to Mary Oliver
Be still my soul and be steadfast
Let the waves of chaos flow over you and around you and through you
Be still my soul for you are forever
Be not afraid for you are never alone
Seasons come and seasons go
New life is birthed, and it brilliantly shines forth
As time passes, it slowly steadily fades
Only to die and then be born a new
Be still my soul and know peace
By John Hamlett
How I Have Refused to Live
I have refused to live in a world without meaning
A world without love and peace and mercy and hope
And despite all my failings
I have refused to live a life unexamined
And although I have done my best, most of my life, to avoid pain and suffering
The price for examining my life
The price for conscious awareness
Is embracing the pain I desperately seek to escape
The Pain hurts like hell but I’m tired of living in a semi-conscious state
I’m tired of hurting the people I love the most
I’m tired of allowing fear to paralyze me
I refuse to live a life that is easy, although that’s what I often seek
It is only in your Presence that I can live this life oh Lord
Grant me strength and courage to withstand all that I must face
By John Hamlett
What Am I Stepping Away from to Pause and Reflect
I am happy to step away from my busy life
Happy to step away from one responsibility after another
Happy to let go of anger and fear and frustration and high anxiety
Happy to let go of big decisions about the future
Trying to let go of bitterness and resentment
Wanting to let go of strained relationships
Wanting to let go of toxic people
Happy to let go of financial worries
Wanting to let go of heaviness and conflict
Desperately wanting to let go of conflict all around me
Let go of making people happy
Let go of worry, so much worry
By John Hamlett
The Shape of Joy
Joy begins with a smile
Because someone or some thing has touched your heart
And in that moment
Darkness flees, fear flees, shame flees, and doubt flees
You have found connection with your True Self and with your Creator
And likely but not always, another human being
Just rest in it
By John Hamlett
John Hamlett, M.Ed., M.Div., LPC, LMFT 